BRS Online
by WillTheYordle
Summary: Fulldrive, a mysterious new company has created a new MMORPG more advanced than any game out there. Rick and his friends manage to get a few of the ten-thousand copies, but what they don't know is that BRS Online is more than just a game. It's actually another world just like their own, but they have fallen on desperate times. A world of war, corruption, and adventure.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright so yes this is very, very late but better late than never! Remember everyone that there is no official schedule on this story (unlike The Story of Kevin) but I hope you like it anyway!**

**Chapter One: Blue Rift Sanctuary**

_Day 1_

_Date__: Friday, January 21__st__, 2015_

_Location:__ Timberfall High School_

_Time Until BRSO Release:__ 15 Hours 20 minutes_

Rick hadn't dressed warm enough, he still felt the cold of the snow through two pairs of socks and his shoes. Maybe he should have taken up his mothers offer to use her winter boots today, even if he could take off one pair of socks when he got to school they would still be soaking by the time he had to walk back home, and his shoes wouldn't be dry by then either. There wasn't time to go back home, his school was only a block away now anyway, and Rick was too excited to care about his feet anyway.

Today was the big day, he had waited almost two years for this day, the release for the most anticipated game of the decade, Blue Ridge Sanctuary Online. To Rick, this game had the strangest name of any he had played in the past, but it was going to be the best game he had ever played regardless.

Unlike most other Massive Multiplayer Online games of the day, Blue Rift Sanctuary Online used a type of coding no one had ever seen before, and all of the A.I.'s used for the NPC's were more advanced than anything ever created. Acording to reviews, if not for the game telling you, there is only one way to tell the difference between a player and an NPC. With the build in voice chat that's required for the game, it's possible to even hold a casual conversation with one.

Rick had made sure to pre-order one of the only ten-thousand copies as soon as he could, and he considered himself lucky to be playing. For some reason the company that had created this game hadn't required any payments of arms or legs, and was actually a lower price than most new games of the day. Considering the lack of potential income, the game wasn't expected to last more than a few months.

Finally on school grounds, Rick hurried over towards the commons, hurring around people bunched up in small huddles talking in loud voices, it was like a sea of noise, each group talking louder to make sure they were heard but not shouting to avoid the attention of the teachers that patrolled the area looking for some juvenile delinquent to break the rules.

Not that many students would, the commons was small enough that if anything were to happen, everyone would know almost instantly. Any small corners of the room were occupied by staff doing some kind of job that no one really cared to understand. The walls of the commons were lined with various posters advertising upcoming events, the Winter dance, the basketball game later that evening, and whatever special the café had going on right now.

The center of the commons was a sea of heads. Round tables littered the room, scattered in the same way they always were, without a pattern but yet always in the same place. In the center of it all on the wall which hid the rest of the school from our eyes. Weaving his way through the crowd, Rick sat down at a somewhat empty table in the corner of the room, the place where he and his friends would commonly gather before and after school.

"Why if it isn't the glorious king of face-plants!" Rick sat down, ignoring the playful insult from his friend Sofia, currently the only one sitting at the table.

"Where is everyone this morning? I'm usually the last one here." Sofia sighed and shrugged.

"I wish I knew, we need to make sure everyone knows where to meet up after school today." Rick folded his arms on the table, remembering the one time their scheduling coordination had been way off.

"Yeah, we definitely don't want that to happen again, especially not with our pre-ordered copies on the line." Blue Rift had a very different type of account system from most games, in the sense that the account you were using wasn't your own. You weren't required to put in any personal information short of a username and password, both of which would be wiped along with your character data if you didn't play the game in a week, and should that happen your account goes to the first person on a very long waiting list. For some reason, Fulldrive, the company that created BRSO, didn't want more than ten-thousand people playing the game at any one time.

"I still don't understand why Fulldrive had to go and make it only available to so few. There are over seven billion people on this planet!" Sofia whined in protest.

"It may be because the company spent so much on creating the game they didn't have enough left for a bigger server." Looking over his shoulder, Rick noticed Scott and Colin standing behind him, each holding the same history textbook.

"Hey there you two, glad you could finally join us. So Colin, failed to take care of that history report Wednesday night like you said you would?" Colin rolled his eyes and took a seat on Rick's left.

"Well when you have to choose between a hot date and doing a history report…" Colin grinned, showing teeth that looked way too white to belong to any normal person, "I'll go with the girl every time."

"We're well aware of that Colin, which is why you had to ask me for help to get that report done this morning. I'm also going to assume that since we haven't met her yet, the date didn't go well." Rick and Sofia snickered as Colin rounded on Scott.

"What did you just say? That date went spectacularly! Great dinner, good movie-"

"And then you screwed up at the end of the date by insulting her with one of your bad jokes!" Rick interrupted, causing everyone to laugh. Colin sighed and leaned back in his chair, clearly defeated.

Deep down, Rick did feel somewhat sorry for Colin. He was a fantastic friend, one of the best gamers he had ever met, and was by far the funniest class clown he had ever had in his years in the public education system. The only fault Colin had was had was an inability to get himself a girlfriend, and now that we were halfway through our Junior year, it seemed pretty likely that he wouldn't have a date for prom.

"How many does this make this month Colin?" Scott asked hitting down on the opposite side of the table from Colin, who held up four fingers.

"Four? Man, you just don't have any luck with women!" Sofia exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just hoping the girls in BRSO will be my type." Colin grumbled. Everyone laughed, it was just like Colin to try and go after any pretty girl, real or virtual.

"Speaking of which, does everyone remember the plan for today?" the laughter died down as the topic got more serious. Sofia was the first to answer.

"Of course, right after school we all meet you in the back parking lot to drive up to Silver Creek and pick up our copies of BRSO, then we spend the next two and a half days playing until we drop, since we don't have any reports or projects due on Monday."

"Remember that there has been no information about the types of classes that will be available for selection, so what's the plan for in game characters?" Rick asked, already knowing the answer but did so because this was the time to review the _whole_ plan for the next two and a half days.

"I'll pick the class that has the closest thing to heavy artillery, Scott picks an assassin, Sofia a sniper, and Rick get's a tanky mid-range class." Rick nodded his approval.

"And what's our first goal again?" Sofia asked with a scheming grin on her face.

"Trick question, there are two starting goals." Scott said in a neutral tone, Rick looked sharply at the pair, he wasn't aware that there was a _second_ starting goal, and he had come up with the plan! "The first of which is to punch Rick's avatar the second we meet up," _of course it is!_ "And the second is to establish the Star Busters guild as fast as possible."

"Everything short of slapping my avatar is correct, alright so everyone is clear on the plan."

"How could it be anything but clear? We've been talking about this plan since BRSO's release date was announced six months ago!" Colin laughed, and the bell warning students to get to their first period classes rung.

"Great, I don't know how I'm going to concentrate now that Scott's got me riled up to hit Rick's avatar." Sofia muttered as she and Colin headed for their English classroom. Rick watched them go, wondering what BRSO was going to be like. He may have come up with a plan for the group, if Fulldrive had decided to release more information about the game.

Everything had first been announced two years ago when it was reported that a new company called Fulldrive Games was going to reinvent the gaming world with technology that should have been a dozen years in the future. Everyone was excited and hyped, demanding to know an estimated release date for this game, or even what its name was. Rick had watched the development with interest, but sadly nothing new came out for a year and a half other than small, useless tidbits of information that let everyone know that this game wasn't dead.

Everything exploded once again six months ago when Fulldrive revealed Blue Rift Sanctuary Online, a game where the NPC's acted like real people, and the players were coming to the world of the floating continent as warriors from another dimension called Guardians to defend the world against the evil Thilan empire. Some minor gameplay was also revealed, with incredible graphics and with a new technology that required the game be played with voice chat. But sadly beyond those details, no one knew anything.

"Does it worry you that we know so little about this company or this game?" Scott asked as he gathered his bags, drawing Rick out of his thoughts.

"To be honest it doesn't, the lack of knowledge about the game and the world surrounding it excites me." Rick also stood up and flug his backpack over his shoulder, the two of them walking towards a door on the other side of the commons.

"Historically speaking, most MMO's that have been released this way end up duds." Rick looked up at Scott as they neared their classroom.

"I've never been one to believe that History repeats itself. What do you think?"

"I think a company doesn't spend more than two years on a game for nothing, and this game will be a stepping stone for much better games." Rick walked into his first period class trying to shake off the ominous feeling he was getting thanks to this conversation. _Great, one too many books again._

Rick's first class was History with Mr. Witchman, who despite his name was the most appreciated teacher in the school for how good his lessons were. He had a voice that commanded your attention in a way that made you want to. To Rick, it was a shame that he was teaching United States history, although it was hard to see him teaching algebra with how energetic his personality is.

The room was decorated with posters of famous Americans, George Washington hung on the wall above the turn-in box, Abraham Lincoln was next to the new touch-screen board, and Uncle Sam was watching us from the door. From day one of the year Rick had banished himself to the corner of the room so he could get away with doing some programming or research work on his smart-phone for the majority of class. It wasn't that Rick didn't enjoy history, it was that he picked up on it so quickly he didn't need to listen to Mr. Witchman's lectures, and the only homework was reading the textbook. The tests were brutal, but easy if you actually read the material.

Unlike Rick, Scott had a little harder time with History. The textbook gave all the details needed to pass the final, but Scott was a conceptual guy, he didn't memorize facts as well as Rick, so he often needed to know every detail about the time period to find an answer and understand it, otherwise he went crazy.

As Mr. Witchman dove into his lecture about the reconstruction after the Civil war, Rick pulled his mobile from his pocket and logged into the school's Wi-Fi, making sure to bypass all the security measures in place that prevented him from doing his work. The first thing Rick did was check the official BRSO website, not that he expected to find anything there, which he didn't.

After a brief moment of disappointment Rick dived into his programming work, the words of his teacher sounded like muffled ramble, a background noise that wasn't completely unpleasant. Developing a program that would let him interact with the BRSO characters away from his computer, making the virtual world he loved so much more accessible. It was all made possible by a secret post from one of the developers of BSRO gave out coding information that would let people make mobile apps to use their in game characters to communicate with the Smart NPC's within the game if used correctly. Rick was planning on using this released code to interact with Smart NPC's when they were in school and needed to interact with the game. Rick always wanted to do something like this, but no game was advanced enough until now.

"Rick." Rick's head snapped up from his phone, quickly scanning his eyes back and forth across the room, he saw that all eyes on him, including his teachers. Rick's face grew hot as he realized that he had been so focused on the program he had forgotten to keep an ear open to any questions that Mr. Witchman might ask him, since it was obvious that he wasn't paying even the slightest attention to his teacher.

This wasn't the first time this had happened, and luckily for Rick many of the students in his history class were also gamers who understood what he was up to. Like the many other times before, a small paper was slid towards him from one of his classmates with the question Mr. Witchman had asked. _What is the definition of Sharecropping?_

"A rent system where free former slaves would remain on a plantation, and the payment for staying was labor." Rick answered calmly, silently hoping that his classmate hadn't been trying to trick him with the note.

"That's exactly right Rick, very good." Mr. Witchman hadn't pointed out that Rick had needed a note to even know what the question was, his way of saying to pay attention without making a small spectacle out of it. Rick made sure to follow where the lesson was going as his continued his work, moving a lot slower since he was paying closer attention to the lesson than he normally would. He was glad he had such sympathetic classmates, of course they only reason they were helping him out was because they also had managed to get their hands on a copy of the BRSO game and wanted to see Rick's app completed.

After spending another forty minutes splitting his attention between history and programming, the bell rang for class to end. Rick's head shot up from his phone in surprise. The ball always caught him off guard, no need to watch the time when you're trying to accomplish something. Rick quickly closed his textbook and notebooks, stuffing them into his backpack as fast a s he could, not wanting to be the last person out of the classroom again.

"Still spending history working on your app?" Scott asked rhetorically.

"It's almost there Scott, but we both know I'm too lazy to work on it at home." Scott frowned but said nothing more as they departed for their next class.

"At least pay enough attention so our classmates don't have to bail you out every time Witchman asks a question. It's embarrassing to watch."

"I'll make sure I work on that." Rick replied with a nervous smile. _Only fourteen more hours until Blue Rift Sanctuary, I can't wait!_

_Day 1_

_Date__: Friday, 1__st__ Month, 21__st__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Obroseon Science and Technology Headquarters, Guardian Launch Room_

_Time Until BRSO Release:__ 14 Hours_

Black watched from her post as the ten councilors lead by two scientists looked around the massive chamber. Almost a mile high and easily a half mile in diameter, this was easily the largest spire in the Kingdoms. A project almost eight years in the making, and even though all of these councilors had overseen the construction, it looked like the completed building was a new wonder to them. Leaning on the wall next to the large sliding door, Black watched without much interest. Ever since the Guardians had been revealed to her and her fellow Keepers eight years ago and her future on the front lines of battle, which she had been training for since her birth had been taken from her, she had little interest in hearing about anything related to the Guardian project. It was supposed to offer the Kingdoms a future, but not for her.

"So this is it?" A tall woman, dressed in the Obroseon council robes asked seriously, one of the two councilors who weren't fazed by the sight of the many thousands of preservation tanks.

"Yes, all of the Guardians will be ready for launch in fourteen hours when the link system has been completed." The head scientist replied calmly.

"Finally" a man in Kheawuton robes smirked, "we have the answer for those Thilan scum." Black stifled the building rage within her, desperately trying to keep her left eye from flaring. Despite having been tossed aside like rotten bread it wasn't her place to question the decisions of those in power.

"That may be true Councilor Raan, but please remember that the Guardians won't be ours to control, they'll have their own will." Raan turned and threw a stone cold glare at the lead scientist.

"What do you mean by 'they won't be ours to control?'" The scientist flinched for a moment but managed to avoid crumbling beneath the Kheawuton councilor. Of all the councilors, Kheawuton's were known to be the most forceful in what decisions they wanted passed. They had the commanding attitude of military generals, since they were the kingdom that controlled Blue Rift's armies. But Raan was more forceful than any Black had ever heard of, bullying the other councilors into voting how he wanted them to.

"He means that these Guardians that we're summoning aren't robots Raan, their free spirits who think that their playing a game rather than saving the Kingdoms." An Obroseon councilor replied forcefully. Raan didn't look at all convinced, if anything just more angry and willing to smack his fellow councilwoman.

"You don't think I'm painfully aware of that Jude? We need an army, not a bunch of renegade children, at least the Keepers could follow orders!"

"Raan, I think we're all aware why Project Keeper was discontinued." A third councilor gestured in Blacks direction, Black didn't quite understand why but Raan got a sly grin on his face after that. With a grunt from the lead scientist, he pulled the attention of the squabbling council members.

"Yes well, getting back to why you're all here." The scientist led the councilors over to a platform that appeared to be some kind of elevator. Black was motioned over by the other scientist accompanying the head, Black wished she knew their names, but dismissed the desire as unimportant as she complied, stepping onto one of the far corners of the platform to prevent her bulky cannon from bumping into any of the council members on the journey.

With the push of a button, the platform dropped instead of rising as Black had expected it to. They descended slowly through the floor down to a basement that she didn't know existed. The room was fairly simple but huge, bleachers that ringed the outside of the massive room that could hold almost fifteen-thousand people, shimmers of holo-screens and sound boxes everywhere, and a small stage about four feet in diameter in the center. _What is this for; it looks like it could house every single Guardian at once!_

"This is the initiation room, where a selected representative from the council will educate the Guardians on their purpose, explain the rules, and inform them of how the system works." The lead scientist explained as the elevator stopped a foot off the ground, stairs extending from the front side onto the four foot stage. The councilors took it in for a moment, and then Raan rounded on the lead scientist.

"There's something that's been nagging at me Doctor Eastil, you explained that making a new Guardian would take almost four years, and they're _very_ expensive for us to produce, so what happens when we run out?" Eastil, despite the highly aggressive tone of the councilor, didn't flinch at this question.

"Yes that's been bothering me as well," Jude looked around at the seating arrangements as she jumped in to support Councilor Raan's accusation. "How could ten-thousand Guardians stand up to the billions of troops of the Thilan Empire, and then of course there is the question of whether the wielders of the Guardians will even be capable of completing their assigned tasks." Eastil held up a hand to stop Jude and prevent the other councilors from making comments of their own, and some looked like they were about to ask more demanding questions. Eastil glanced at Black briefly before speaking, and something about that look but Black on edge.

"Yes well, the Guardians use the same revival system as the Keepers, which you all already know. But since the skill of Guardian pilots is unknown, we developed a system that will teleport a group of Guardians back to their stasis chambers if they all defeated in combat, therefore we hopefully will not lose a single Guardian before we can prepare more."

"_Hopefully?_ Eastil we were already divided on this plan when you presented it, and now you're saying we're _hopefully_ not going to lose a Guardian for four years?" An enraged Raan approached Eastil, clearly out to give the scientist some bruises before Jude stepped in his path.

"You and I both know that it's better than having to raise a new Keeper from scratch, and Eastil has assured us that the Guardians are even more resistant to injury. It's not like we're sending them down to the Thilan's front door, this is just to buy us time to figure out why the barrier went down." Raan snarled at Eastil but stopped trying to reach for him.

Inwardly, Black sighed, disappointed in the Kheawuton councilor. Councilor Raan got overly aggressive for not getting _exactly_ what he wanted, and Black never heard of a time where he used calm diplomacy to achieve his goals. Put simply, he was terrible at dealing with people unless it was to stab them with a sword or shoot them with his shotgun. It wasn't a combination for a man in politics.

Realizing that she was allowing herself an opinion, she stopped herself. As a Keeper, her job was to guard, protect, and serve. Opinions, ideas, and strategy were to be left to humans. Black had often gotten into trouble when she was younger for thinking on her own, and she had a scar on her knee from being punished for that reason when she was only a few years old.

"So even if a group of Guardians are defeated in battle, they'll be sent back here instead of getting captured or killed?" Councilor Jude asked in confirmation.

"That's exactly right councilor, however as you may expect, we don't want a group of Guardian pilots who can't do their duty, so if a team of Guardians have to be sent back here, their pilots will be discharged and replaced, we have more than enough pilots from the other world on standby." Eastil's answer didn't surprise Black too much, the Kingdoms weren't very tolerant of military failures, especially with their very existence at stake. There was a grunt from the assistant scientist, who tapped on his wristwatch. This meeting was supposed to be short, squeezed in before a major council meeting, or at least that's what Black had overheard. Eastil gathered the attention of all the council members.

"Yes, well as to why I brought you down here. As I explained earlier, when we launch the project later tonight, we'll need someone to explain all of the rules and regulations to the Guardians. I'll need to be on staff in case the impossible happens, and I think it would be best to have one of our leaders do it."

"Isn't the choice obvious by now science geek? Military matters are to be handled by a Kheawuton council member, I'll do it." Councilor Jude rounded on Raan with a look of annoyance finally creeping into her normally neutral expression.

"Aren't you forgetting that you're not allowed to nominate yourself for anything for the rest of the cycle because of your last failure? Besides, we need someone who can actually teach our Guardians law." Councilor Raan gritted his teeth and looked ready to charge his fellow councilwoman, but a hand on his shoulder from the other Kheawuton councilor stopped him.

"She's right Raan, and besides, we need to get the Guardians to cooperate with us, not go join up with the enemy the first chance they get." It was obvious that Raan wanted to protest further, but had enough sense to know that he was outnumbered. _Surprising that a Kheawuton councilor would agree with Councilor Jude._ Black realized she gave herself another opinion and tried to stop thinking altogether.

"You won't be deciding now," Eastil commented with amusement, "I've already submitted the paperwork to get the decision on today's council vote, so you won't be deciding that here." Black caught several Council representatives rolling their eyes, Black was glad she wasn't going to be in the Chamber of the Council for that. The rest of her day was going to be patrolling the Guardian building for possible Thilan saboteurs.

For the rest of the explanation, Councilor Raan didn't try to start any more arguments, to Black he was showing a miraculous amount of control, but maybe this is how he was when he wasn't fired up over something. This was after all, her first time seeing the members of the council in person.

There weren't too many details left, and they were all complicated politics that didn't concern Black in the slightest. Soon, it was time for the councilors to leave for their next meetnig, and everyone was back on the elevator, Black standing in the corner keeping an eye on the scene in case Raan got suddenly violent or an assassin had somehow snuck in. She was careful that way, in training she had never fallen for an ambush or a surprise stealth attack.

"Councilors, thank you for taking the time to preview the future of Blue Rift, I assume the agreement reached yesterday is still in effect?" Jude nodded.

"Yes, Black, your orders are to follow Dr. Eastil to your new holding chamber." Black felt confused but held a straight face.

"Yes ma'am, if I may, what is my new assignment?" Black followed Eastil off the elevator and down the stairs. Councilor Jude didn't reply for a moment but then gave Black a cold stare.

"You have none. The Keepers have had their purpose changed." Black felt even more confused than before. Repurposed? But for what? The Keepers were only taught how to fight and survive, they had no other skills. What could they do besides fight the Thilan? Councilor Raan laughed the most maniacal laugh Black had ever heard.

"It's quite simple girl, you and your Keepers are outdated, so you're now going to kill each other for our amusement!" Black tried as hard as she could, but the rising feeling of horror and betrayal was something her training hadn't prepared her for. She was being asked to kill her fellow brothers and sisters, for nothing more than to please the council!

Too stunned to even try to pull out her cannon to shoot Raan or any of the other council members, she blindly followed Eastil until she was put in an almost prison like room, bars over the windows, force shields over the door and lining the walls so she couldn't escape. Black sat on the hard bed holding her legs to her chest, her cannon and sword still equipped from her last duty as a Keeper soldier. She and the rest had been replaced, and she knew that she didn't just hate the Council, she hated the Guardians too.

_ If I ever get out, we'll kill the Guardians, the Council, and the every scientist that worked here. And then we'll be the one's running Blue Rift and the Five Kingdoms._

_Day 1_

_Date__: Friday, 1__st__ Month, 21__st__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Chamber of the Council, Obroseon_

_Time Until BRSO Release:__ 11 Hours_

Councilor Aland had been disappointed when he hadn't been chosen to go see the finishing touches on Project Guardian, but at the same time he was relieved. He had supported Project Keeper until the bitter end, and now he could only try and quietly rally protests for their freedom once the games started. It sickened him, even if these were battle trained warriors, it seemed wrong to have teenagers kill each other over and over again for sport.

"So with a vote of seventeen to six, Councilor Jude will represent the Kingdoms at the Guardian imitation." Jude stood and gave a respectful bow.

"I'm honored, I will do my best to convey the wishes of the council to our newest warriors." Aland leaned back in his chair, thinking to himself how well Jude was playing this council. Almost every decision had gone her way since she got the position almost a full cycle ago, and the bright future that he believed the Kingdoms were reaching at long last seemed further away than ever before.

With the last decision of the day made, Councilor Yeman stood.

"We'll reconvene tomorrow afternoon to assess the progress of the Guardians. Dismissed." As formal procedure required, every Councilor stood and bowed, showing respect to the work that they were doing, or at least that's what it meant in Yeman's mind.

Collecting his notes into his brown shoulder bag, Yeman moved with anticipation, excitement, and sadness. Despite not actually talking to the Keepers, he loved to watch them train. To Yeman, they were almost his own children. From the shadows, he had helped care for them, teach them, and prepare them.

And now he was to watch them destroy each other.

Leaving from the Chamber of Council, Yeman moved with at a rushed pace. The Keepers were going to be transferred to specialized holding cells later in the day, and he wanted at least one chance to meet his warriors face to face before they were sent to their deaths. _I must find a way to save those kids!_

The streets of Obroseon were packed, even in the political districts. Important men and women forced to pack together as they walked to their varying directions, each of them talking through a mobile device, talking about some small profit deal or another, each one trying to get ahead of the system.

To Yeman, this wasn't as important to him, he wasn't stupid enough to ignore the profit side of the business entirely but held onto his own ideals, an equal kingdom free of the Thilan like the days in the old tales. Of course, science, mathematics, and art had all progressed incredibly fast in the thousand years under Thilan attack, mostly by the desire to survive. It had improved society for the better, but decisions like the one involving the Keepers proved that Blue Rift Sanctuary was far from perfect.

After getting from the Chamber of Council building, which lay in the center of the city, to the outer edge of the science district almost three miles away, Yeman looked up at the tall spire that held the Guardians. The Keepers were held and trained in a facility directly under the large spire, even further underground than the Guardians initiation room, which to all public knowledge was the lowest floor. A special elevator could take you down to the Keeper levels, and Yeman was one of the few outside the facility with clearance to go inside.

Yeman entered through the double automatic sliding doors that acted as the main entrance to the facility. It was protected by two soldiers armed with special stun weapons that looked more intimidating than their actual effectiveness, pitch black with a red design paint that traced various skills and stun counts for each one. All Yeman needed to do was show his I.D. and he was let inside without a word.

Once inside, the lobby was decently sized with fantastic interior design in Yeman's opinion. Dark blue walls with teal trim and rugs, with black floorboards. There were varying portraits and artistic background paintings that lined the walls, giving a calming, welcoming appearance despite the fact that only the Guardians were going to be allowed in and out of the building. There was no front desk, only two doors, each with a guard posted to keep normal citizens out.

Yeman went to the door on the right, the extra storage space for Guardian equipment and personal storage. Like the front entrance, he only had to show his identification to the guard to get inside. Instead of following the hallway that led to the various rooms, he immediately turned to his right and placed his I.D. in front of a hidden camera in the wall.

With a small flash of light that ringed the rim of the opening, an elevator opened up, taking Yeman down to the lower basement, where he was going to meet his Keepers at long last. They didn't know it was coming and Yeman didn't expect them to come running up to him like some long lost father, but it would put a smile on his face, and they needed to know that he wasn't going to let them be toys for long.

When the elevator finally stopped, the doors opened to reveal one of the female scientists moving a stack of boxes inside the elevator. As Yeman walked past the young woman, he noticed one of the boxes was labeled KEEPER DNA. _Notes, so they really are getting ready to move them._

The "spectator box" as the science geeks called it wasn't too far from the main lab, using slanted windows for easy observation of the action below. Yeman knew the schedule by heart, and today was sparring day. Right now, he expected Black to be squaring off against Dust, but to his shock and surprise he didn't find anyone in the arena. _Could they already have been moved? No, that isn't possible, the council decided to move them _after_ the launch of Project Guardian._

Needing answers, Yeman headed into the main lab, where he found dozens of metal containers probably filled with various science supplies, but only one or two scientists in the room.

"Councilor Yeman, I didn't see you there." Yeman turned around to find Doctor Eastil, behind him.

"Eastil, where are the Keepers? I would think they'd be practicing one last time before the transfer." Yeman kept his tone neutral, trying to mask his rising frustration.

"My apologies Councilor, but we received orders to move the Keepers today. We would have alerted you, but we had orders not to tell anyone about the transfer." _What? But who would have the authority? I made sure anything involving the Keepers has to at least cross my desk!_

"Where have they gone Eastil?" Yeman was slowly losing his ability to contain his anger, his voice rising to a shout. However Eastil remained calm, and seemed to have a smug expression on his face.

"I'm afraid have orders not to tell you that either. The Keepers are outdated Councilor, and we'll learn much more from watching them go all out killing one another, and maybe we'll find a way to improve the Guardians. Who knows? Maybe one of your Keepers will actually survive to the end." Yeman shoved his way past Eastil and headed for the elevator up.

He couldn't believe it, the Keepers he had put so much time into working on and indirectly raising were now slaves of the council, or more likely whoever had ordered that early transfer. Something didn't feel right about this whole situation, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

**Chapter one complete! No action yet, and it looks like Black Rock has already gotten herself into a bit of a bind! Please leave a comment and I'll see you all soon with chapter two!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this one took so long guys, life and my other story happened! But I'd say a ten-thousand word chapter should help make up for it. Four reviews already is amazing, thanks for your comments and hope you enjoy the reading!**

**EDIT: Dangit I messed up with a perspective detail and corrected it. Yes I literally just changed one word in the chapter, it was going to bug me.**

**Chapter Two: Project Guardian**

_Day 1_

_Date__: Friday, 1__st__ Month, 21__st__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Councilor Yeman's Apartment, Obroseon_

_Time Until BRSO Release:__ 4 Hours_

The first thing Yeman had done when he got back to his apartment had been to call his friend and fellow councilor Justin. Having served on the council for two three years terms to Yeman's two years of experience, he was often the person he went to for advice and ideas, despite his friend being a councilor from Haweth, the Kingdom of all manufacturing.

To Yeman's amazement, Justin was just as surprised as Yeman was to find out that the Keepers had been moved half a day early. Justin, although surprised, didn't think of it as a big deal, but was obviously trying to avoid sounding too impartial, aware of the connection Yeman had to those kids.

"Justin, I know you may not think this is a big deal, but how did this happen without me at least hearing about it first? You'd think with how often I was down in that lab I would have heard about the transfer time." Yeman was losing his patience, but a voice in the back of his head was telling him that Justin wasn't going to offer much help in this situation.

"Yeman this really isn't a big deal, so you didn't get to see the kids one last time before they were shipped off to their cells, so what? You'll see them tonight." _Killing each other, like hell I'm going to that stadium._ Yeman thought to himself. There was no way in Thilan he was going to watch the children he had an indirect hand in raising slaughter each other for the amusement of the new Guardians. Justin let out a sigh.

"Look, they were shipped off without you knowing, if that's it I don't see why you can't just go to their cells and say hello now." In his anger, Yeman had forgotten about that detail. He had been so focused on the wrong transfer time and the aggressive, arrogant attitude of Eastil that he had totally forgotten that the scientist had denied Yeman the new location of the Keepers.

"When I asked about that they said they had orders not to tell me?" Justin was silent for a moment, searching for words.

"But, there shouldn't be anyone in Blue Rift with the authority to prevent you from learning that information, the Keepers are official council business, we have the right to know anything and everything involving those kids." _Now I'm getting somewhere._

"I'm thinking they had to have been bribed, somehow. It's the only explanation for this." Yeman stated with careful confidence.

"Possibly, but withholding this information is against the law, Eastil can easily be arrested and charged with treason."

"Unless the order came from a Kheawuton councilor classifying the Keepers as a wartime secret, which would be possibly since…"

"Since the Keepers are by all definition combat ready." Justin finished. Yeman pulled at his hair, resisting the urge to scream his frustration into the earpiece. This was absolutely crazy, and it didn't make sense either.

"But what would a Kheawuton councilor gain by moving the Keepers early to a secret location?" Yeman asked, half to himself.

"Could be that someone in Kheawuton didn't like how close you were to those kids." Yeman shook his head.

"But why go through the trouble just to stop me from seeing them? All but one of those kids will be dead by dawn tomorrow." Yeman was pacing hard now, having walked all over his apartment at least four times, and now he was pouring himself a drink to try and get himself to calm down a little.

"This is a problem Yeman, if one of the councilors is able to bypass the council and use the Keepers for their personal agenda, the balance of power will tip, and things are already pretty unstable in the council as it is." Yeman let out the breath he was holding. Justin always thought big picture, a lot more so than he did, and this time his friend really put it in perspective. At first, Yeman had called to vent his anger, and now they were facing a potential political crisis. _Great Sanctuary, could this day get any worse?_

"Alright, we need to start looking for connections. If our theory is right about a Kheawuton councilor being behind this, that's the first place we should be looking."

"Agreed, goodnight Yeman."

"Goodnight." As Justin ended the call, Yeman dared not hope that somehow exposing this before the midnight event would somehow stop the Keepers from being killed, more likely he could save the survivor with this, and even then that was a very optimistic outcome.

However despite his desire to save the Keepers, he couldn't tell Justin about Eastil's reaction to Yeman's rather brutal line of questioning. Eastil had called the Keepers "outdated" but they probably had more combat experience than any of the Guardians, so what did Eastil mean by it? _And what is he planning…_

_Day 1_

_Date__: Friday, 1__st__ Month, 21__st__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Unknown Holding Cell, Kingdom Unknown._

_Time Until BRSO Release:__ 3 Hours_

Black hadn't moved in forever, her chest hurt too much to try. The cells appeared to be separated, divided by massive walls of metal, the element she didn't recognize. Normally it wouldn't matter, since her Cannon could blast through it, but whoever designed the cell had her in mind. Energy barriers prevented her from destroying anything but the mattress, and Black saw no point in destroying that. Doctor Eastil and the strange men he had been with had let her keep her weapons for what it was worth, probably so she could tear apart her fellow Keepers later.

Pain was always a sensation Black had been able to ignore in the past. If she was shot, bones broken, it didn't matter to her as long as she could stand and fight. But this was different, a pain that she couldn't fully hold down.

The pain of betrayal.

"_Black, seriously it's been hours, come on answer!"_ Black didn't respond to the cries in her mind. It was the one best kept secret of the Keepers, the one they had agreed to never share to the science team, and somehow they never managed to detect. Somehow, the Keepers were able to communicate telepathically when close enough to each other, allowing them to communicate in combat without wasting oxygen to do it. They hadn't found any barriers to the communication other than distance either, so they could talk despite the steel walls, but Black didn't want to talk to anyone.

The calls that disturbed Black's silence were coming from Red Crystal Gunner, one of the last Guardians created and the emotional rally of the group. Like Black, most of the Keepers didn't allow themselves to show emotion, because emotion led to moral conflict, which hindered ability to follow orders and be effective warriors. Crystal was the one Keeper who didn't have this issue, maybe it was out of necessity to stay hidden among her comrades, or it was because she hadn't actually been placed in a killing position until now.

_"Black please, I'm scared and no one else is talking, they all believe that we're going to have to kill each other! Tell me it isn't true!"_

_ "We will have to destroy one another. The rumors you hear are true Crystal."_ Black replied in a monotone voice.

_"But why? Why raise us for sixteen years only to have us destroy each other? I thought we were going to be fighting the Thilan Empire along with the armies of Blue Rift!"_ So did Black, but clearly that wasn't their purpose anymore, and nor was it her purpose to protect her fellow Keepers anymore. Now her only goal was to survive, but what after that? She enjoyed having a purpose, save Blue Rift. Merely surviving sure would be a challenge, but didn't appeal to Black. And on top of that, thinking of killing the other Keepers worsened the tightness in her chest. Was this _guilt_ she was feeling for thinking about killing the comrades she had grown up with all her life?

_"Black please, I don't want to tear my family apart, and I'm sure deep down you feel the same. We're sisters, we trained together for as long as I've been alive, you won't just throw that away will you?"_ Black was conflict

ted. If she teamed up with Crystal and ended up defying the wishes of the council by not killing her, they would probably both end up dead. Her number one rule that she had been taught since birth was to survive without betraying the council. Although she could probably throw out the last part of that rule, teaming up with Crystal was sure to get her killed, and she knew she didn't need allies to survive anyway.

_"Crystal, our purpose now is to survive. If you cannot do that alone then you'll be the first of us to fall."_ Black could hear Crystal crying. _She really doesn't have the ability to control her emotions._ Black thought to herself.

_"I thought sensei had taught us to always stick together no matter what, but everyone is too busy worrying about the first rule to remember!"_ Black sat up slowly, her legs going over the side of the bed. She realized that Crystal was right. It had been the last rule Sensei had given them before he left when she was ten. "Always stick together, no matter what happens, or what twists are in the road." This was the one of the few memories of Sensei that was clear, and Black hadn't understood the meaning of it until now.

_"Crystal… thank you."_ Black sent, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She may not be a soldier for Blue Rift anymore, but she could follow her Sensei's teachings to stay alive, and that meant finding a way out of here.

_"Wait, Black are you going to team up with me?" _Crystal asked in surprise.

_"No, no one is teaming up with anyone."_ Black replied firmly. _"We're going to find a way out of this, everyone is walking away alive."_ Black didn't feel pride or happiness as Crystal or humans probably did, but this made the pain in her chest go away, and from that she knew this was the right course of action.

_"Isn't this great Dead? Your plan is working!" _Black could feel the disappointment coming off Dead, who must have been secretly listening in on the conversation the whole time, completely shattering the secret that the whole plan to get Black on board with their Keeper alliance had been organized by the first generation Keeper.

_"I should have known you'd come up with something like this Dead."_ Dead Maser, a master scythe wielder, she was the other voice of reason for the Keepers when they were about to break out in fights that had been against the rules. Black was sure that behind closed doors, the scientists had debated the loyalty of Dead to the council because of how much she cared for everyone despite her equally neutral attitude to everything.

_"It's just as Sensei said six years ago, we must stick together, and that applies now more than ever."_

_ "Then we need a plan, they won't let us walk away from killing each other without a fight."_ Black responded.

_"We have four cannons including yours, I propose we shoot our way out."_ A simple plan, and normally one Black would support, but this time was different.

_"My cannon cannot pierce this wall Dead, and I think wherever we go, these walls will follow."_

_"A possibility I have considered, but there is no other option." _Meaning that once they got to the location of the fight, if they were trapped by the same walls that held each of them now, there would be no way to escape.

_"Then we must keep our senses open, and look for a new way to escape if there appears to be none."_

_"We're gonna be okay guys, I just know it!"_ Black couldn't help but feel a spark of amusement at Crystals child-like blind optimism.

_"How many of the Keepers have joined us?"_ Black asked Dead.

_"Roughly sixty-five percent, but everyone I have talked to has joined us so far." _They actually might have had a shot, it looked like every Keeper was going to join their cause, giving them a higher chance of success, not that their chances were very good anyway.

_"We must be prepared for the worst," _Black pointed out._ "The council will throw everything they have at us to prevent us from leaving them."_ Black didn't get a response from Crystal or Dead, probably because they were already talking to the other Keepers, who were probably out of range for Black to hear. They would probably rely on a relay system to get their message across to everyone.

The odds were stacked against them, and yet some of the top Keepers were still trying to find ways to survive. It was who they were, and the only thing they had left with their purpose gone.

_No, we have a new purpose, to protect each other, and make those who betrayed us pay for what they've done._

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__, 2015_

_Location:__ 729 Lefraneu Drive SE_

_12:00am, Launch of BRSO_

Rick rushed inside the house, kicking off his shoes in the general direction of the closet to be put away later. Rushing to the other end of the house to his bedroom, he flew into his chair, the force of the impact rolling it against the wall. Repositioning it, he took the BRSO disk out of its case, punching open the disk drive on his computer before carefully slamming the disk in place.

Starting up Cloud at the same time, Rick logged in to find his friends already in a Cloud call, probably discussing their installation process for BRSO, which Kevin was working on right now. The graphics for the loading screen were amazing, bright colors, beautiful images from various cities, fields, forests, and caves.

"I'm telling you that there is no way that forest isn't evil! Didn't you see the little rabbit looking thing in the corner of that shot?" Rick regretted entering the Cloud call at that exact moment, it was never good to walk in on Colin ranting about something when they got a new game.

"Colin, if there are evil rabbits in this game, they won't last long. Sharp, pointy teeth and cuteness aren't enough to deal with us." Sofia replied, probably rolling her eyes right now.

"Wait, when does that image come up?" Rick asked, making his smooth entrance into the conversation.

"The installer cycles through the same twenty images, it's the fifth one in the slideshow. The bottom right corner there's a small rabbit with red eyes." Colin's voice turned dark at the end of his last sentence to emphasize the evilness of the rabbit.

"BRSO is not Snakes and Mice Colin, this game is supposed to be a lot like reality, so I doubt that little rabbit would do very much to us even if it was aggressive." Scott replied calmly.

"But have you seen those eyes? That thing doesn't have a soul!" Rick could hear the hands of both Sofia and himself meet their foreheads out of reaction to Colin's terrible reference.

"Colin, no, just stop. If you try and kill an innocent creature because of this I _personally _will be the one to kill you." Colin muttered for a moment in protest but then fell silent. The slide show cycled through a few more times before our installations completed, all right at midnight, the game automatically launching.

At first Rick's screen was completely black, then the BRSO logo appeared in the center of the monitor with a light blue loading bar just under it. The group was silent, no one was speaking to one another as the bar was filling, probably on each of their screens, although Rick could hear Colin shifting loudly in his seat, waiting anxiously for the game to finish loading.

They all finished simultaneously, getting into the server together. Rick assumed that it was probably the same for anyone who was currently playing BRSO, which was probably all ten-thousand people who had a copy of the game, since they had gotten at least twenty messages each telling them to be logged into the game at the time of the launch or wait one week to start playing. For Rick, it was strange that they were that strict about start times, but didn't mind that much.

Without even a title screen or an introductory cinematic, the game launched right into character creation, asking your gender and age. Once that was completed, Rick's screen was bombarded with different options, all of which connected to body design, similar to some creature creation games, but a _lot_ more advanced, almost like 3D modeling for really smart dummies.

"Woah, I'm not sure I can follow this, this is too much!" Colin complained almost immediately. Everyone gave their silent agreement. Rick noticed a timer at the top of the screen with a note under it.

"It looks like we only have two hours to create our character, and considering how advanced these controls are, it could take that long to get our characters built." Rick sighed. "Alright let's figure this thing out." Despite the advanced look of the creator, it only took them fifteen minutes as a group to figure out the creator, and within another twenty minutes they all had body designs made, each mostly matching their own physical bodies for the most part, except for Colin who packed a lot more muscle onto his character. "I'm such a beef hunk" had been his deep voiced comment, prompting groans and bruising promises from Sofia. Silently, Rick was glad all the Guardians had at least been wearing underclothing.

Once the body design was done, clothing and attire was next.

"Wow they have so many choices, this is so much better than the mall!" Sofia squealed in excitement.

"There are almost one thousand possible choices for shirts alone, I'm glad that they put in a search function." Scott commented with a mild tone of surprise and respect. Rick agreed silently, picking out his own outfit that he was glad Sofia couldn't see. She was probably going to freak out when she saw. Yellow T-shirt, a blight light jacket over the top with dark blue shorts and black sneakers labeled 'combat sneakers.' Not exactly the most matching outfit in the world.

"Oh, there's so much pink available, and it doesn't cost a dime! I'm so sad I can't pick out more than one outfit!"

"Sofia is the prime example of every girl gamer out there right now who is playing this game at this very second." Colin joked. Sofia seemed to ignore the hidden slam behind the comment, too focused on her avatar.

"Oh would you look at these shorts, too cute!" The next twenty minutes was filled with Sofia making random comments about some article of clothing she would find, and wither or not to replace the older item with it.

Rick wanted to tear his hair out, since they had not agreed not to move on until everyone was done with the current step. _The last twenty minutes, can this girl ever run out of air?_ Rick thought as his friend began ranting about some kind of combat boots. Clearly his companions were starting to get annoyed as well, because the second Sofia stopped to breathe, Scott cut in.

"Sofia, as much as we enjoy hearing you browse the many options of BRSO, can we please move on?" After a brief pout of annoyance, Sofia sighed.

"Fine, but if they don't have some kind of item mall with all of these choices I'm going to sue this company." There was a loud frustrating 'click' sound as Sofia locked in her outfit, and Rick quickly followed behind.

Up next appeared to be the fun part for Rick, class selection. Unlike many MMORPG's Rick had played in the past, there was no choice of race, everyone was a human Guardian it appeared, and the screen showed five options for him to choose from. Shooter, Trooper, Sniper, Assassin, and Brawler. When Rick hovered over one of the options, it gave him a brief description of the classes skills, but there appeared to be no description of any special abilities.

Ruling out Sniper and Assassin quickly, Rick was left with Shooter, Trooper, and Brawler. Rick wasn't the kind to go charging into the middle of thirty enemies to be most effective so he ruled out the Brawler class, which appeared to be a kind of close range tank fighter. Lacking long range abilities, it didn't really suit Rick well.

Up next was Trooper, which looked like a lot of fun, but seemed like it lacked effectiveness and was counterproductive when paired with a Brawler due to the massive amount of explosions if friendly fire was enabled in this game, which left only Shooter. The class appeared to be nothing more than a simple soldier class, but it was well rounded and the most adaptive, the perfect fit for him.

"Aww man, look at all these rockets I can get with this class! Alright guys I'm going Trooper, don't try and stop me." Colin's choice didn't surprise anyone really, he had always been the explosive, trigger happy type of player.

"I'll stick with the plan and play an assassin, I assume the same goes for you Sofia?" Scotts question was answered by a squeal of excitement from Sofia.

"You bet! I'll be the cutest sniper in the whole game!" As everyone locked in their roles, Rick realized that they would have to play smart, they didn't have someone to soak up damage in the front line, meaning their tactics might have to play out in a guerilla style of play, the way they liked to do things.

"Man, if there's one thing about this game that I like, it's the number of explosives that the Troopers get, after all, the chicks dig a guy with a rocket launcher!" More groans.

"Rick can I please hit him?" Sofia asked with a pouty tone.

"Wait until we've met up in game Sofia, then yes, you can hit him." Rick answered with a grin as the game asked for a character name. Without thinking, he typed in Whitestar, his usual character name, confident that no one has taken it.

"Alright guys, roll call, character names. Whitestar." Rick started.

"DJStarswag" Colin answered.

"Fallen Rose." Sofia replied with an almost monotone voice, a hint of pride creeping through at the reveal of her name.

"Winston Business." The reveal of Scott's name led to what sounding like a spurting of water from Colin.

"What the hell, _Winston Business_? What kind of average ass name is that Scott?" Scott sighed.

"It's my name, and it doesn't attract attention, such is the nature of an assassin." He replied calmly.

"Whatever, I bet your Guardian doesn't look half as cool as mine does." Colin boasted.

"Knowing you Colin, you'll have the dumbest looking Guardian of anyone here." Rick replied with a laugh, prompting similar responses from the rest of the group.

"You guys suck." Colin complained. "So what's up next?" Rick turned his attention from the conversation back to his monitor, where the screen had various stats such as Strength and Agility. Each of them had a number to the right of the text with a plus button above the number and a minus button below. At the very top right of the screen was a counter that read _Points Remaining: 5_.

"Looking like we're putting some initial points into our characters." Rick observed.

"Yeah, but what's the deal with only giving us five points?" Scott complained in his usual whiny tone. "And why in hell does my Guardian have an agility of five when my strength is twenty? And my Health is nine-hundred?"

"Strange, my Guardian has a strength of twelve, health score of two-hundred thirty and an agility of twenty-five." Scott replied neutrally. "Could it be because of the different classes?" Rick gave the idea some thought.

"It might also be affected by how our characters are physically built, I have similar stats to yours Scott."

"Looks like it's the same for me, but my accuracy is almost forty already, what do you guys have for energy?" Sofia asked. Rick and Colin's Guardians had roughly five hundred energy each and Scott had almost eight hundred. "What? I only have about two hundred energy! That's not fair!" The whine from Sofia was almost childlike.

"Everyone spend your points wisely and check what stat your leveling, the amount of damage don't here doesn't appear to be influenced by the stats." Rick pointed out. Scott was quick to correct him on his error however.

"Hang on Rick, check out accuracy, 'increases your ability to hit vital organs on your target.' That sounds like more damage to me."

"It's possible that hitting the heart or head of someone would be a killing blow in this game no matter what the weapon." Sofia commented.

"Check out the focus stat as well, look how much it regenerates." Rick replied, drawing everyone's attention to his latest observation.

"Wow that's crazy, I get one hundred points per hour real time." Sofia commented.

"Me too, everyone else have one hundred per hour?" Colin asked, and both Rick and Scott answered with a yes. "This is going to be one low action game!" Scott have a 'hmm' of thought.

"It's almost like this game was modeled after real life. A real person couldn't fight for fifteen hours straight without a break."

"Wait, would that mean that _walking_ would take up energy as well?" Sofia asked in shock.

"It's possible." Rick's eyes went to an astric at the bottom of the page. "Hey look, it says here that stats are leveled through action, meaning we can probably improve our energy and focus just by playing the game and not pushing ourselves too hard."

"Meaning the more we play the game the more OP we get?" Colin asked rhetorically. "My kind of game." Rick decided to put two points in accuracy, two in agility and one in strength, to get a head start for when he eventually obtained a weapon that was heavy.

"Alright, well I've made up for the problems of my Guardian!" Colin declared.

"Don't tell me you put five points into agility!" Scott sighed. "Alright well you'll be able to lift heavy stuff and move fast, but when you don't have any energy or can't hit anything don't start whining."

"Don't be so hard on him!" Sofia protested. "I put four points into my own agility."

"Yes but the ability to reposition yourself quickly in one of the essentials of being a sniper." Scott reasoned.

"It doesn't matter, I doubt these five points will make a big difference early on, and having the extra agility will help a bulky Guardian like Colin's." Rick reasoned. "Is everyone done with their point distribution?"

"Yes." Was the almost synchronized reply from the group, and Rick clicked the 'Finish' button at the bottom of the screen, and his monitor went black for a moment, and it wasn't a slow fade, it went black immediately after he clicked the button, making him jump in surprise. Had his computer just crashed?

"Woah, woah, woah, something's up, my monitor just went black!" Colin shouted suddenly, and a feeling of relief washed over Rick.

"Same thing just happened to me Colin, don't worry about it." Suddenly, two timers appears at the top of the screen, one was at ten seconds and had text above it that read: 'all other programs will close in.' "Alright guys, it looks like we're going to be swapped over to the in game communication system, meaning I'll see you all on the other side!" A quick round of 'later's' and 'see you's' managed to get through before BRSO terminated Cloud, cutting off his communication to his friends.

Taking a look at the second counter, Rick realized that it matched the counter that was on the top of his screen when he was creating his character. One hour remaining until his Guardian would be launched into the world of BRSO, and he would be thrust into what he hoped would be a grand adventure that he and his friends could talk about for years to come.

Satisfied that he had some extra time on his hands, Rick got up from his desk to go make himself some food, since he hadn't eaten in a few hours. Looking through the fridge, he eventually decided on the leftover takeout pizza his family had saved from the night before. Even heated up in the microwave it tasted a little stale but Rick didn't mind, food was brain fuel, and he was going to need a lot of it to get through the night.

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1__st__ Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Unknown Holding Cell, Kingdom Unknown._

_Time Until Guardian Launch:__ 1 Hour_

It had been almost two hours since Dead had informed Black that every Keeper was on board with the escape plan. They still hadn't managed to find any new details as to what field they would be placed in, but it wasn't like they could search for answers themselves when they were locked up, and nobody had even seen a guard since they had first been placed inside their strange, unknown prison.

_"One hour until they launch the Guardians."_ Black whispered, not really intending for anyone to hear her.

_"Why couldn't we have fought alongside the Guardians, I bet they're really cool!"_ Crystal exclaimed with excitement, like she was expecting one to enter her cell at any moment.

_"They're our replacements Crystal, we were never meant to see the field of battle."_Black replied neutrally.

_"We cannot know for sure what the intentions of the council might be Black. All we know is that they now want us dead."_ Dead was right of course, but Black still couldn't help but wonder what the point in raising them for seventeen years was if they were only going to be killed in one big bloody event.

Sudden movement in front of her cell caught Black's eye and her head snapped up. Two scientists with three Obroseon guards armed with high powered stun rifles, although they looked slightly different which led Black to believe that they were experimental.

One of the guards disabled the shield protecting the front of the cell, letting one of the scientists and a guard inside before re-activation, once again trapping Black and preventing any chance of escape.

"Hey there, we need to give you an injection before your big event tonight, so sit still for me alright?" The scientist pulled out a syringe and slowly approached Black, clearly expecting her to attack him. Her gaze quickly darted over to the guard, who already had his weapon pointed at her, safety off. Knowing that trying anything now would be suicide, Black simply let the scientist circle around behind her and inject something into the back of her neck. She could feel the shot but didn't react; pain was something to be ignored.

Almost immediately after the task was completed, the pair retreated outside the cell and moved on without a word. Black watched them go, wondering if they were going to do this to the other Guardians.

_"Black, were you injected as well?"_ Dead asked after a few moments.

_"Yes."_ Soon they learned that every Keeper had been injected in the same location, and Black could only assume that this was a kill switch if they decided to escape. Their chances for victory got slimmer every passing moment.

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__, 2015_

_Location:__ 729 Lefraneu Drive SE_

_BRSO Location:__ Guardian Hall_

_2:00am, Guardian Initiation_

_10… 9… 8… _Rick relaxed in his chair, adjusted the BRSO headset so it fit just right, and placed his hands in ready position. _3… 2… 1… _The game was about to begin. When the timer hit zero, the world exploded in a flash of white, and it looked like Rick's Guardian was in some kind of tank, the liquid having been recently drained out of it. With a small white flash, instructions appeared at the top of Rick's screen explaining how to move around. _Arrow keys for directional movement and mouse movement to look around, and it doesn't look like I have any kind of targeting marker._ Still wondering how he was going to do things like pick up items or target enemies, Rick continued to play around with the controls, walking back and forth a few steps in the small cylinder and looking around, although the strong green coloring made it almost impossible for him to see outside.

Suddenly the tank shook, and there was the sound of a conveyer belt, suggesting that he was moving. Although Rick couldn't tell which direction just by looking into a monitor and hearing a few sounds, he was glad to have a few more moments with the controls. The movement suddenly stopped as Rick's Guardian was taking a step backward and suddenly his screen was looking at a tank wall from a lot closer to the ground. _Great, now how do I stand up?_ To Ricks amazement, his Guardian got off the floor and was back on its feet. _So what if I wanted to punch the air right in front of me?_ The Guardian punched at nothing, falling short of the tank wall.

"What the hell!" Rick said out loud. Your avatar didn't get a lot of its directions from bushing buttons on your keyboard, it got them from your mind! _This has got to be some of the most advanced technology I've ever seen, and I didn't think this was even possible yet!_ It was right out of a science fiction novel, but it was as real as his own body, and it wasn't a dream.

Suddenly the tank wall in front of Rick opened up, revealing the outside world. Rick stepped out of the tank and gaped at what he saw. He was in a massive tower, he couldn't even guess how high it must have been, and it was easily half a mile in diameter if not more. _Wow they really didn't cut any corners. Ten-thousand Guardians would fit in here easily if organized properly._ And organized they were. There were a grand total of twenty five rows with tanks systematically traveling down, letting Guardians out, then disappearing into the wall to make room for the next tank. It was an incredible sight.

"Guardian!" Rick turned his head to come face to face with a man in a white lab coat wearing safety goggles. He tipped his head in the direction of an exit. "Follow everyone else to the initiation hall, your briefing should start within the hour." Rick nodded and walked forward, following the other players down a hallway, through the twists and turns of the tower down several floors. The building overall looked very nice, dark blue and black color scheme, various lights and data screens, it was like the most ominous Disneyland ride ever.

Eventually they got to some kind of stadium, where the bleachers went in a large circle around a small center stage where large holographic screens floated around. There were hundreds of Guardians already were sitting down and were talking with one other. Rick could pick up all kinds of emotions, ranging from shock and amazement at the new headset technology to worry over why they were all being led to this one room. Rick also realized that everything sounded just like in real life, like he was actually using the ears of his Guardian to listen to the world around him.

Forced forward by the crowd, Rick kept an eye out for his friends, the most noticeable would probably be a giant muscular avatar packing a rocket launcher and a sniper dressed all in pink. Quickly and easily, he spotted Sofia near the back of the bleachers with Colin and what could only be Scott's avatar.

"Hey everyone!" Rick gave a wave as he sat himself down next to Colin's muscular avatar. "Settling in with the new control system?" Colin and Sofia's Guardians gave Rick a thumbs-up and Scott's Guardian gave him a nod.

"I guess we should formally introduce ourselves, since it's only proper to call each other by our character names here. Hearing it once in conversation when we were creating our Guardians isn't enough." Scott reasoned. "So, my name is Winston Business, it's nice to meet all of you."

"Fallen Rose, a pleasure Winston!" Rose/Sofia shook Winston/Scott's hand. Colins bulky avatar held up a hand.

"DJStarswag is the name, please, just call me DJ." Rose smiled while Winston just rolled his eyes, but this time actually had a smile on his face. Everyone turned to me with my introduction.

"What's your name dude?" DJ asked. "I don't think you even mentioned it back during creation."

"Right, my bad. My name is Whitestar, White for short. Looking forward to blowing a bunch of stuff up, and speaking of which did anyone get a weapon after they created their character?" DJ, Rose, and Winston all shook their heads.

"Nope! We selected our classes but it never gave us a weapon selection, and it doesn't look like we even got a starting weapon. Maybe they'll hand them out during the initiation."

"I hope you're right Rose, even with this avatar being as strong as it is, I want to make things explode not punch shit!" DJ was over-emphasizing everything with arm movements, almost smacking White on two occasions with his dramatic movements.

"What do you guys think they'll talk about?" White asked looking over the stadium as it got fuller and fuller, Guardians still pouring out of the entrance.

"Probably will go over the controls, introduce us to our enemy, go over the rules, basically everything that was hidden from us during out wait for release and then some." Winston answered before changing the topic. "This game feels so real, it's like I'm controlling a body in another world." Rose nodded.

"I know what you mean, when I first figured out that this headset reads your mind I was totally shocked. This game is totally amazing!" White grinned.

"So a smash hit then?" Another thumbs-up from Rose.

"You bet, I think this is our game White!" A bell rang out across the entire room, and conversations everywhere fell silent.

"Attention Guardians, please find your seats quickly. The initiation will begin shortly. I repeat, the initiation will begin shortly." A few moments passed before the group started talking again.

"It all sounds so real, these headphones have built in surround sound baby!" DJ pumped his fist in the air and White laughed.

"Can't wait to get out there, I wonder what the world is like?" Rose asked with her voice filled with wonder.

"If I had to guess, I'd say something either steam punk or science fiction futuristic. Just based off of the plot and what I've seen so far." White speculated.

"Steam punk would be so cool, but wait, the holographic screens in the center…" Rose pouted as she realized that there was no way the game could be her favorite genre.

"It's too clean for Steam punk anyway, and in some ways it seems like it's crossed with fantasy. I mean, a floating continent?" White shrugged. "There isn't a good way to tell while were in here."

"I think we're gonna land in some ruined city, and this is like, the last secret stronghold and we have to get out there, and push the Thilan back so they can rebuild!"

"I've played one too many post-apocalypse games." Winston remarked. "I truly hope that isn't the case."

"What's wrong with post-apocalypse games?" DJ challenged with a raised fist. "You a zombie hater or something?" Winston rolled his eyes.

"No, but I've played that genre into the ground already. Turn based, RPG, FPS, MMO, I've done it all when it comes to doom and gloom."

"Besides," Rose responded, "if the world is all dead, there won't be any clothing stores for me to pick out more outfits!"

"Is all you think about clothes?" DJ asked in a bored tone.

"At least I'm not obsessed over rocket launchers and explosions!" Rose retorted with a huff.

"Alright you two, don't make Winston and I sit through twenty minutes of your bickering, Rose can like her clothes and DJ can like his explosions!" Rose turned away from DJ, which also put her back to White, and didn't turn around.

"Geez you're fighting already and it hasn't even been an hour yet." Winston sighed. "It's a wonder how we even manage to work together at all." By now there were almost no empty seats left, and Guardians were starting to take up the seats around them.

"Attention Guardians, the Initiation will now begin. Please take your seats." A few straggling Guardians who were looking for their friends were forced to sit down as the lights dimmed, and the holo-screens jumped to life, displaying images that matched what was on the installation screen. Seeing them farther away took away some of the effect, but it was still somewhat cool to White.

"Welcome Guardians, to Blue Rift Sanctuary." A female voice echoed throughout the chamber. Suddenly, a rectangular platform began to descend from the roof. Light flooded in from the chamber above for a moment before it was sealed by two large metal doors. "My name is Councilor Jude. I am a member of the Sanctuary Council, the government that protects this great continent. I realize that all of you come before us now in search of adventure and excitement. But I ask that you also come with a sense of duty, to protect what threatens to be lost."

"What a cliché speech." DJ whispered.

"I'll start with our history." The screens jumped to life, showing more scenery images than before, different than the loading screen. At the end of the short slideshow was an image of a massive floating continent.

"For as long as this planet has been in existence, the continent of Blue Rift has floated above the world protected by a natural phenomenon called the Great Barrier. His phenomenon created a barrier that let no creature or machine enter or leave. It protected us from the great evil that rested on the lower world, waiting patiently to strike. Then, one thousand years ago, the Great Barrier suddenly stopped." The screens displayed a burning city, men and women on fire, knives and swords in their bodies, blood everywhere. It looked like a massacre.

"Our enemies struck ruthlessly, and the kingdoms were nearly destroyed. We had been caught off guard, unaware that the barrier had fallen. For the last one thousand years we have been working to drive the Thilan Empire off Blue Rift and send them back to the bloody world in which they come from." The video continued to play, showing shaded forms of strange creatures of various types as they passed by, freezing on some king of mutant kangaroo type creature with the head of a snake, hissing at the camera.

"They are masters of creating nasty creatures that do their bidding. And although we have pushed them back, there is still one small section of land under their control." The holo-screen displayed a two-dimensional map of Blue Rift. Most of the map was blue, but there was a small section on the western end that looked like some kind of folded hand that was red.

"This small section of land still remains under the control of the Thilan Empire. And the creatures they have holding us back are terrifying. We need your help Guardians, to push them back. To drive them off this land. This is your purpose."

"Basically we're here to clean up their mess." DJ muttered. "Good, that thing looked nasty." White nodded his silent agreement, not that DJ noticed.

"Before I continue with specifics, I must ask, is everyone ready to fight?" A massive roar from the crowd, no one was stupid enough to turn this offer down, this was easily the best game of the year for a decade straight. Jude seemed to smile.

"Very well. Each of you will been given a starting kit after the initiation today." The holo-screen showed a large backpack, it looked like it could easily carry almost fifty pounds in supplies. "Inside this bag will be some simple supplies, a wallet with a two-thousand credit cash card, a Guardian communications device, a thermos, and a ticket for a random weapon corresponding to your class. Additionally, you will receive a guide to all the kingdoms in Blue Rift and what laws they have and maps to every city."

_No armor? That's really risky._

"Armor will be provided here at the Guardian Tower starting tomorrow, until then I would recommend practicing at the shooting ranges." There were a lot of groans when everyone learned that they would have to wait to go out into the field safely, but a few veteran looking players didn't seem worried about it. _Are they planning on taking on the Thilan by themselves?_

"I'm sure all of you are aware by now, but I must remind you. Should your Guardian be offline for more than seven consecutive days, or if your Guardian is not active for a total of fifty days in a cycle, you will be replaced. Do not disappoint. Now, I will continue on to some matters of a slightly different type." The screen shifted to a large building with a large G on the front of it.

"These buildings are called Guardian houses. We understand you cannot be piloting your Guardian indefinitely, so should you wish to log out, you must first take your Guardian here. Otherwise, you will not be able to log out. Also, do not leave your Guardian sitting alone in the field inactive for more than three hours. Doing so will result in suspension from your Guardian." _So no going afk either, at least for too long._

"Every Guardian house will also have a practice area for Guardians, so if you're not on the front lines we encourage you to practice your skills. Remember, there is no killing of another player's Guardian. Doing so will result in revoking your Guardian. Light sparring however, is allowed and also encouraged in the training area." Images of the inside of one of the Guardian houses appeared, and it looked like a five star hotel with a special gym made for Guardians. Shoot ranges, bags for punching and kicking, specialized bags for swordplay, and a sparring arena.

"You cannot buy specialized weapons or armor at Guardian houses to buy more weapons and armor you'll have to do it at specialized shops scattered across the continent. We do not guarantee the quality of any of these goods, each of the stores will be privately owned and operated."

"What's that even supposed to _mean?_ Are they saying that there are shops in this game that will sell us _crappy _products? What kind of game does that to its players? The chicks gad better be worth it because everything else in this game is starting to sound like a drag." Although White didn't want to admit it DJ had a point. Limited logout ability was going to be a pain, and it also sounded like buying new equipment was going to be painful too.

"Every Guardian has a storage locker on the first floor, please feel free to store your things inside there. Each locker can only be opened by a Guardian in your squad, which I'll explain momentarily. Rest assured your belongings are under maximum level security." _But based on how close to reality this game has been so far, I'm going to guess we'll have to come back to this tower to get to anything in the storage lockers._

"As for how you'll be organized, like I mentioned earlier you'll be divided into squads. You're free to create and combine your squads however you choose, but please note that you will be required to name your squad. Although we do allow it, we do not recommended a Guardian wander off by himself, because should your entire squad get knocked out, every Guardian pilot in that squad will no longer be able to access their Guardian, and will be replaced." Shocked murmurs erupted from the crowd. It was such a harsh penalty, it was like one of those shows where if you died in the game you were _actually_ dead.

"This is such bullcrap." DJ moaned.

"BRSO will be a serious test of skill. We cannot make a mistake." Winston observed grimly."

"With that, this is the end of the initiation. We thank you Guardians for your future contribution and service to Blue Rift and wish you the best of luck. To show our gratitude, once you have your weapon, you're invited to attend one of Obroseon's newest spectator sports, the Keepers. You will not need a ticket for entry, and a lighted street will guide you. Once again, from the bottom of our hearts at the Sanctuary Council, thank you for your service!" The platform raised, and Councilor Jude disappeared. The lights came on and Guardians started hurrying towards the exit, eager to get downstairs for their weapons

"This isn't what I expected!" Rose commented with a slow exhale. "What an intense game this is going to be!"

"What do you think 'The Keeper' is about?" Winston asked.

"I think we should find out, there's so much to explore here I want to get started right away!" White stood up, giving the others a moment to stand up before rushing for the exit with the others on his heels.

"I hope I get a rocket launcher, blowing things apart will be so much fun!" DJ declared.

"I wouldn't use launcher ammo to blow up a practice dummy DJ, you'll have to live fire test it." Winston pointed out.

"Just as long as it makes an explosion and goes ka-boom, I don't really care!" The four of them weaved through the crowd, Rose, Winston and DJ all trying to match White's excited pace. They were lead down several flights of stairs until they reached a large room with Guardians lined up, getting their stating packs and weapons. It looked like the weapons they were giving out were randomized as well.

"A raffle? I wonder if there are any possible rare weapons we could get." Winston scratched his chin. "Interesting." The group stood at the back of the line, which was moving very fast despite how long it already was. In almost no time at all, they were at the front of the line, each of them talking to a different clerk.

"Good evening Guardian. May I ask your full name as you input it?" The clerk asked, looking up at White.

"Whitestar, all one word." White replied. The clerk typed White's name into the keyboard then gave Rick a large backpack, which he put on right there. Then with a loud 'thump,' White turned around, surprised to find a long white cannon sitting on the desk in front of him with a holo-pad on it.

"Keep the holo-pad, it will give you all the information you need. You got a really powerful weapon Guardian, take good care of it, and sorry that it doesn't come with a way to store it. I've included a weapons shop in the holo-pad that should be able to make a good holster for this." _Powerful? This thing is so long it'll take up most of my energy just to carry it around!_

White gave his thanks and carried the cannon to a corner of the room where his friends were gathering. Everyone stared at his weapon with distaste.

"Dude did they give you the short end of the stick? That thing looks so weak I bet it couldn't even take out a slime." DJ commented with a snort. It would appear that he didn't get the rocket launcher he was hoping for, instead equipped with a massive chain gun. Rose got a sniper rifle, no surprise there although it looked standard issue, and Finally Winston got a long knife and a pistol. _Great, so I get stuck with the useless weapon._

The cannon itself looked kind of cool, long one and a half foot barrel, it looked like it shot big rounds and had to be held by sticking your arm in the one foot square part of the cannon. The whole thing was as white as a fresh layer of snow. Looking at the holo-pad, I began to read the historical text.

"White Rock Cannon. a weapon designed for a Keeper. The original owner of this weapon died in a training accident almost two years ago when a bomb prop had accidentally replaced a real bomb in a training session. Use it well Guardian, for there is no other weapon like it anywhere on Blue Rift."

"Isn't the event we're about to go see called 'The Keeper'? This means you got one of their weapons!" DJ exclaimed. "Dude I take back what I said, I bet that thing's wicked powerful.

"But it _is _just a starting weapon." Winston pointed out.

"So what? We said it ourselves, the weapons we got were randomized, meaning White could have gotten himself the most powerful weapon in the game!" White rolled his eyes.

"And a minute ago you were saying that I had a weapon that couldn't even kill a slime, what happened man? You somehow get a vision that this weapon was in the hands of some girl Keeper?" DJ grinned.

"You know it, and she was real hot." White patted his shoulder and placed his arm inside the cannon. His Guardian seemed to know exactly how to put it on, so there wasn't any trouble. White pointed the cannon around, noticing how bulky and awkward his Guardians movements became. This weapon was going to take some getting used to.

"So should we head for the Keeper event? I'm excited to see what will happen!" Rose declared rubbing her hands together. "Based on White's cannon. I'd say they're going to fight one another!"

"Should be interesting, we'll get an idea of the combat in this world." Winston starting walking towards the two sliding doors that led to the building's exit. "We should hurry, the best seats will be gone quickly."

When White walked out of the Guardian Tower he couldn't help but stand there and stare at the city around him. Lights everywhere, spotlights erupting from an area of the city not too far away, and brightly lit arrows on the street, pointing down the street in the direction of the massive, colorful lights.

"Alright wonder boy, let's go." Rose pushed White forward, and they started walking down the street towards the stadium, and their first major event of BRSO.

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1__st__ Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Obroseon Grand Stadium._

_Time:__ 3:15am_

Black stood in between two massive gates. Their design was old, made to match the design of the massive coliseum they were being sent to fight in. From their studies they knew that this was the most famous stadium on Blur Rift, but it had been closed for the last three years to be renovated. _Is that how long they've been planning this?_

Black already tried shooting the gates, they were made out of the same material from her cell, no chance they were going to be destroyed by her Black Rock Cannon. This was the end for the Keepers. Despite the hopeless situation they agreed to all stand together. They weren't going to the Sanctuary Council win and turn them into monsters.

Rose had managed to get seats in the front row. The massive arena was shaped like a football field, and they were in the best spot, surrounded by other Guardians as they filed in quickly taking up all the seats in the section. White had been shocked at the massive roar from the crowd when they had entered the stadium, it was like the Guardians were already celebrities among the NPC's.

The field below was what caught White's attention. It wasn't shaped like anything, just a simple black ground with blue lines running across it in a grid pattern, making him wonder just what kind of field it was.

"This is so exciting, I'm definitely rooting for the hottest fighter down there!" White rolled his eyes. It didn't matter what world DJ was in, his mind was always focused on explosions and the ladies. White wondered when the show was about to start, they had been sitting down for almost twenty minutes, continuing to banter on about the same topics they had discussed back at the Guardian Tower, when movement caught White's eye.

"The gates are opening up!" The crowd roared in applause. White shifted uncomfortably. His was forced to keep his White Rock Cannon on his right hand since he lacked anywhere to put it, and he had forgotten to store it in his locker back at the tower. _This is just going to annoy me all day…_

Black could hear the people of Blue Rift howling for blood as she stepped into the arena.

She wondered if they even knew that they were almost their protectors. Their saviors. Banished to the fate of trying to save one another from the will of the council. Black looked around. The stadium was massive, and it appeared that every Keeper had come out of their own gate.

"Keepers, please make your way to the center of the stage and stand on of the platforms." Black did as the announcer had instructed, finding Dead three platforms to her right. Scanning the rest of the Keepers, who were now gathered on the circle of blue rings, Black made eye contact with everyone, confirming that they knew the plan. They all did.

"That one in Black is so cute! She's totally going to win this one!" DJ pumped his fist in the air. "Go Black, crush them all!" White squinted to get a better look at the black keeper through his monitor. From what White could depict from where he was sitting, the girl was wearing a Black jacket, short black shorts, tall black boots, and was equipped with a cannon much like White's only hers was black instead of white. _Crazy, but then again my weapon was a Keeper weapon._ Rose nudged White.

"She's got your cannon, you think she as a chance?" White shrugged.

"I don't know, win or lose I hope I get the chance to talk with her, I'd like some tips on how to use this cannon." Suddenly the field started to come to life, the floor of the stadium coming to life, rising and creating various terrain. Everything was still in view for White, and all that was really created were a bunch of broken down ruins that didn't offer too much cover. _This fight is going to be nothing but a bloodbath!_ White realized quickly. But when the bell range for the match to start, the Keepers didn't start killing each other. Instead, the left eye of the black keeper ignited, wait was it on _fire? _The girl pulled out her cannon from its holster on her back, the top strap separating to let the cannon slip out easily, and then she pointed it right towards White! _Wait son of a-_ an explosion of smoke later, White couldn't see anthing.

**Chapter two! Remember to fav/follow if you liked the story! I'll try to get a chapter out every two weeks or so, but really you'll just have to keep an eye out for more! Hope you enjoyed the second chapter of BRSO! **

**Also please remember to leave comments for me, they help out a lot and I read every one of them, if you ask a question I'll post my answer for it at the top of the next chapter. See you all next time ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright sorry I haven't updated in a month, got writers block and the holidays made me too lazy to write, I'll be the first to admit it. On top of ALL of that I've been working on finishing that colab chapter for another story so yeah. But luckily I'll be settling into updating every other week at the very least.**

**Chapter 2 Comments:**

**Unkown Soul:**

**YOU DID NOT JUST LEAVE ME WITH SUCH AN CLIFFHANGER! NO!  
But really, you just got me totally hyped for the next chapter**

Thanks bro, sorry it took so long to get Chapter three out!

**GooBall:**

**Sweeet, I never thought of an fanfic like this, its great so far :D  
You got me :3  
Black Rock Shooter rules :)**

Glad you think so! More to come to hope you like what comes your way, and yes, Black Rock Shooter is the best.

**Crimson Homura:**

**Great story, keep it up!  
I noticed an error and the end of chapter 2, you said her right eye. Black's left eye is the fire one, not the right. White Rock Shooter (from the game) is the red right-eye fire.  
Besides that, good luck!**

*Grumbles something quietly* Good catch, as I said in my edit to Ch.2 I made a perspective error that you brought to my attention. Oh well, not the first mistake and won't be the last! Thanks for the support too ;)

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Second White**

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Obroseon Grand Stadium_

_Keeper Battle No.1_

When the smoke cleared, White got up took a look over the railing, finding that the wall hadn't even been scratched, pieces of steaming black stone that had come from the female Keeper's cannon just seconds before were on the ground around the impact site. White sat back down amazed and confused as to what just happened. _That girl in black just tried to blast a hole in the wall and none of the Keepers are actually fighting one another, what the hell is going on?_ Clearly the audience was thinking the same thing. Confused voices began to fill the air, each of them asking a similar question, what kind of event was this?

"What just happened? We just got shot at by a chick in a bikini top!" DJ shouted. "What's the deal, they aren't event fighting each other!" Rose took out her sniper rifle, detaching the scope so she could look more closely at the situation.

"It's like they don't want to fight each other." Rose commented. "They're looking at each other like their trying to come up with a plan." Winston looked down at a piece of paper that had had been holding onto since the group had walked inside the stadium.

"The schedule says this is an all out melee, and a fight to the death. Maybe the Keepers are protesting killing one another."

"They look like they're our age, what do you think Rose?" White asked.

"They're definitely our age, maybe they trained together for years and aren't willing to kill each other, if that's the case I hope they stop this!" Rose put down the scope.

"No kidding! If they stop this that means there are more babes to pick up, wait this is a fight to the death!?" DJ looked at Winston and the words finally sunk in for White too. Only one Keeper was walking out of this arena. _They're just kids, even if this is just a game. What the hell is this about?_

From some of the muttering from behind White, it appeared that a lot of the other Guardians had noticed this detail as well, and some were even leaving the stadium, unwilling to watch teenagers kill one another. It was too much like a book they had read in reality, and this was far from a joke for those people.

* * *

"Tch, what a nuisance, why can't they be good Keepers and just start killing one another?" A female voice asked the man sitting next to her. The man, who was dressed in a white lab coat, shrugged.

"I warned you years ago that having Arstil as their instructor would end like this." The man took a sip of the wine sitting next to him. "Shall I give the Keepers some motivation?" The woman nodded with smirk.

"We cannot afford to look bad now, not when we're so close. Activate the chips." The man nodded and picked up a remove that was sitting next to him. Flipping a switch on the top, he placed the box back on the table and relaxed, ready to enjoy the show that was about to start.

* * *

_"We don't have much time, the council is likely to send out soldiers any minute. We need another plan, now."_ Black was only half paying attention to the hurried conversation going on behind her, having not moved since she had taken a shot at the wall. It hadn't surprised Black that the attempt had failed, they were all expecting it to. A desperate gamble from the very start. But the wall wasn't what Black was fixated on; instead she was looking at the boy who had leaned over the wall to inspect the damage. The white cannon he was holding had shocked her. Black knew that cannon, it belonged to the only Keeper who died during their training. White Rock Shooter, the DNA between her and Black had been so close they had been called sisters by everyone, and it crushed Black when her accident happened. _But how, how does he have that cannon?_

Black could only think of one reason, the boy was a Guardian, and they had given White's cannon away to this kid. Black felt her anger rising, her emotional suppression training becoming useless in the face of this insult. Pulling out her cannon, she aimed right at the kid, making sure that her should was lined up correctly before firing. The shot looked good and the boy's eye's were wide with shock, but the flaming rock simply evaporated when it crossed into the stands. _What?_

_"Black what are you doing? Those are civilians!" _Black felt Dead's gaze locked on her, but the Keeper didn't take her eyes off the white cannon. Dead followed Black's gaze and immediately understood when her gaze found the white cannon. _"Let it go for now Black, we'll discuss what to with that boy when we get out-"_Black turned around, to find that all the other Keepers were frozen, not moving like someone had paused time.

* * *

"Holy crap we were just shot at again!" DJ shouted again. Rose looked through her detached scope at the group of Keepers, who were all huddled together in a group besides the girl in black.

"They look like they're talking about something, but none of them are saying anything." Rose commented in confusion. "Wait, something's wrong." White noticed it too, every Keeper except for the Black Keeper looked frozen, was the server lagging? _That would be a quick and unfortunate end to this game._

But sure enough there was a small change in the Keepers. White has just barely close enough to see it, the change of eye color in every Keeper from their natural color to a deep red. It was now almost a certainty, this was some kind of event.

"Anyone else see that?" DJ asked.

"Yeah, and somehow, I don't like it." White replied.

"It's like it was a setup for that Keeper." Winston noted. White gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the girl Keeper that DJ is obsessed with, she's backing away from her companions. If I had to guess, someone is using mind control or something close to dictate the actions of the other Keepers." White turned his attention back to the girl. _This won't end well._

* * *

Black slowly stepped away from her fellow Keepers, recognizing that something was very wrong. The eyes of her fellow Keepers were turning a deep red, and they were still unresponsive to Blacks mental calls. Slowly, each of them pulled out their weapons and backed away from each other. The crowd erupted in cheer as they realized that they were about to start fighting. Black found it sickening that the people they were going to protect were so fond and welcoming of violence and death. _They've never tasted a real battle._ Black realized.

Suddenly, a Keeper with two curved blades known as Silver Edge leaped at Black, forcing her to draw her katana to defend herself.

_"Silver what are you doing, we all agreed to not fight one another!"_

_"That time is gone, none of us are walking out of here unless we give them a show, and I'll make sure that I'm the one who walks out of here!"_ Black managed to break free of Silver's blades and leaped backwards until she was a good ten feet away from him. The field around them was no longer quiet, the sounds of battle erupting all over the place as every Keeper broke their agreement not to fight. Black wondered what had gotten into them, and then she recalled the injection she had gotten before they entered the arena.

_But why am I not under the same effects?_ Black didn't want to fight her fellow Keepers, she still wanted to get out with everyone behind her. But right now, that didn't look possible, and without knowing how to stop whatever had been injected, she only have one option.

Survive.

Black's eye flared, and she pulled out her cannon, Black Blade still in her left hand as she took aim at Silver and opened fire. Without flinching, Silver slashed his blades at the flaming rocks, splitting each of them in half easily. Black had anticipated the move but had tried it anyway in case this strange mind control made him forget their sparring sessions. Silver charged Black again, she responded by shooting continuous rounds at him, forcing the other Keeper to dodge to the side rather that keep charging forward. Black adjusted her aim but whatever shots got too close were simply cut apart by Silver's blades. _I'll have to switch my strategy, there's no way I'm going to defeat him like this._

Silver charged straight at Black again, but this time she re-holstered her cannon and gripped Black Blade tightly, waiting for Silver to get close enough. When he was within striking distance, Black dropped low to the ground and attempted to sweep Silver's leg as he attacked with his right sword, but the blow never came. Instead, the other Keeper had read the movement and had jumped over, bringing his other blade back towards Black's head. She barely managed to get her own blade up in time to defend against the blow. _I'm taking too many risks, I need to be more careful._

Black jumped backward, landing on her feet with her blade ready as Silver came charging back in. Forced to take a defensive stance, Black was blocking and dodging blows left and right, unable to find an opening to get an attack of her own in. She found herself being pushed back, knowing that one small slip would mean the end of her life. Black desperately searched for some kind of opening to get her out of this situation knowing she couldn't keep up her defense forever.

After a few more seconds Black spotted a rocket coming right towards them, probably shot by one of the other Keepers in the hope of picking off two easy targets. Seeing this as her opportunity, Black stepped inward when Silver tried for another slash at her torso, grabbing him by the hand and side, throwing him into the path of the missile, blowing apart the lower half of his body, sending blood everywhere. The audience roared even louder at the first sign of blood.

With Silver down, no one was immediately trying to kill Black, everyone else locked in their own small battles that were starting to end. Despite the chaos Black managed to pick out both Dead and Crystal in the chaos, meaning that they were both still alive. _But that doesn't matter, they're my enemies now._

Black was suddenly slammed in her side and thrown to the ground, the force of the impact breaking a few ribs and leaving her in serious pain, and it appeared that a spike had been driven into her body and then removed based on the bleeding wound she now had. Looking up, Black recognized the face Scarlet Blood Hammer, arguably one of the most deadly Keepers in a bloodbath competition such as this. With every blow that drew blood, Scarlet and her spiked hammer grew stronger, and from the looks of it, she had managed to draw a lot of blood so far.

_"You're going to die here Black."_ Scarlet raised the hammer above her head, and Black quickly used her right hand to draw her cannon and blow a hole right through Scarlet's mid-section, but she appeared unphased, the wound healing almost immediately. Scarlet laughed in Black's mind. _"You'll have to do a lot better than-"_ Scarlet was cut off as the next shot blew apart her face, drops of blood splashing all over Black, which she ignored. Blood and pain were of no importance while one was still in combat. What _did_ concern Black was the wound in her side, which was bleeding heavily even with the pressure she was putting on it. Black slowly drug herself to the wall and slumped against it, giving herself a moment to breathe and tot come up with a new plan.

* * *

"She's alive, we still have a chance!" DJ declared, pointing at the girl who was slumped against the wall with a viscous side wound. While frowned, even if she was still alive there wasn't much chance of her walking out alive, not with her condition as bad as it was.

The scene had been gruesome, the game had been rated mature but even While wasn't expecting this, the once clean field was now stained red, the Keepers going all out on one another. The girl in black had been away from the central fighting, which was probably one of the reasons she was still alive. Now, including DJ's star, there were four Keepers left. One was a girl dressed in dark green clothing with glasses and two what appeared to be horns coming out of her head, with one massive skull floating next to her and an odd shaped scythe in hand.

Another was a girl dressed almost head to toe in pink, and she'd been changing her weapon since the first minute. She held some kind of crystal staff at first, but it had morphed into a gun, a sword, and even a massive cannon that shot the rocket that had killed the black Keeper's first opponent.

Finally, the last male of the Keepers left standing was a guy dressed in massive battle armor holding a massive shotgun. His armor had a few dents in it but it had withstood the brunt of the attacks that it had taken, allowing him to remain standing through most of the fight. This guy by far had the highest kill count, quick and deadly with his weapon at systematically wiping out every Keeper in sight.

"This is so sad, can't we just have four winners! I can't watch this!" Rose was no longer looking through her scope, instead she had her face buried in her hands.

Looking around, it seemed like most of the crowd didn't share Rose's feelings of horror, in fact, most of them were cheering on a favorite or grumbling about how their selected champion died. Considering how few empty seats there were, White estimated that only about one to two hundred Guardians had left the stadium. _It's just a game._ White reminded himself, and he had to admit that it was interesting to watch the Keepers fight, it gave them an idea of what they would be able to pull off.

* * *

With her injuries being as bad as they were, Black was forced to watch from her position against the wall as Crystal charged Dead, changing her weapon from the long staff that it had been a moment ago to a massive hammer similar to the one that Scarlet used just a moment ago. Knowing that there would be no way to defend against this attack, the Dead jumped backward as Crystal swung, the giant hammer just barely missing its mark throwing the pink Keeper slightly off balance.

Revenger, the Keeper known for his heavy armor and shotgun skill, hadn't let the combat between these two go unnoticed, and charged at Crystal as soon as she started to swing, getting close enough to try and put a few shots into her side. Having anticipated the move, Crystal jumped forward to dodge and flying right at the Keeper she had failed to kill a second before with her hammer raised above her head. In theory it was a good move, but she failed to notice the giant green skull that crashed into her, sending her flying into the wall, moaning and not getting up. Dead's familiar flying high above her master, having completed its goal it began to fly in circles waiting for its next set of orders.

Ignoring the wounded Crystal for now, the two remaining combatants turned their attention to each other. Dead spinning her scythe a few times in her hands before dropping into a ready stance, lightly gripping her weapon and watching her opponent closely. Revenger however, wasn't phased in the slightest, gripping his shotgun and switching his gaze back and forth between the opposing scythe wielder and the green-hued skull that was looping around for another pass. Suddenly, Dead charged forward, synchronizing her attack with her familiar, the plan being for the Skull to knock Revenger off balance while she take him down.

It wasn't a hard plan to read, and Revenger dealt with it in a way that stunned Black, as he had never done it before during a sparring match. When the skull was close, nearly two feet from slamming into him, Revenger brought up his shotgun and shot it at least four times in different places, causing it to shatter when it actually impacted him. Dead, equally as surprised, tried to slow herself down but was going too fast. Revenger brought his shotgun around, pointing it directly at Dead's head and pulling the trigger.

Spinning her scythe around, Dead deflected the shot and swiped at Revenger, who simply stepped to his left and bent backwards, the blade passing harmlessly over his head. When Dead finally stopped moving she was a good one and a half feet away from Revenger, who shot back up as quickly has he had gone down, spinning around and firing a few more times with each shot blocked by the well placed scythe Keeper.

Black glanced at the cannon still on her arm and considered taking out either Revenger or Dead, but in the end decided against the action. Even if she could take out one of them the remaining Keeper would surely finish her off. Returning her gaze to the battle in front of her, Dead looked to be in a tight spot. Both of her skull familiars had been killed and there was no way she was going to get close to Revenger without taking serious injury. To any of the spectators here, Dead was going to live up to her shortened codename, but Black knew better, and in fact, Revengers only chance is when he had caught Dead off guard by killing her remaining skull with his shotgun. As far as she was concerned, Revenger was already dead.

Dead soon made good on her hidden advantage, one that only a few Keepers knew about since they weren't allowed to actually talk about their sparring matches before now. Flicking one of her wrists, she sent a chain flying at Revenger, wrapping around his shotgun before ripping back to Dead. The whole thing happened so fast it caught the armored Keeper off guard. Dead grabbed his shotgun out of the air, and smashing it to the far side of the arena since she knew she couldn't destroy it with her scythe. All Keeper weapons were forged that way, so no Keeper would lose their weapon in a combat situation because it broke.

Dead rushed Revenger at an angle that would cut him off if he tried to go right for his weapon, but Revenger played it smart and moved the other way, but not in time. Turning sharply, Dead managed to slice right through Revenegr's stomach, cutting the Keeper into two separate parts which separated when he fell to the ground. For any normal person, it wasn't a pretty sight, or so Black had thought. The crowd erupted in cheer after a few moments of pure silence, but no announcement or bell signaled the end of the match, and Black knew why. There were at least two people alive in the arena.

The last uninjured Keeper realized this as well, walking up to Crystal, who was still knocked out from slamming into the wall, and slamming the blade of her scythe right into her head. _We were supposed to stick together, and then the council tore us apart. I will hunt each and every one of them down._ Black slumped and closed her eyes, pretending to be knocked out as well, but she kept her trigger finger ready for when Dead was close enough.

The greed-clothed Keeper turned to Black, and from the sound of her footsteps was getting closer. When the footsteps stopped Black opened one eye slightly, finding Dead right in front of her with scythe raised above her head. In a single moment, Black's left eye blazed and she raised her cannon right to Dead's chest. Dead only had a moment for the look of shock on her face to appear as Black pulled the trigger, the shot echoing around the stadium. Black didn't even give herself a sigh of relief, this was no time to be happy about winning. This victory had cost her everyone she knew, and her only goal now was to figure out why that Guardian had her sisters cannon.

* * *

"Outplayed! Fucking outplay of the century, this one is going down in the record books!" DJ shouted, now standing in his seat and giving a little victory dance. "She really did it! Wooo! I need to her autograph and ask her out on a date!"

"Don't bother." DJ stopped dancing when he heard Rose's voice. "They're just going to make her fight again and again until she eventually dies." White leaned forward, looking past DJ and found Rose with her head buried in her hands, Winston rubbing her back in comfort. White realized why she was upset, and knew they needed to get some sleep. Rose wasn't going to be up for playing tomorrow if she didn't.

"Alright everyone we know who the winner was, let's get out of here and get to one of the Guardian houses." White led the four of them out of the stadium as everyone else was clapping and cheering for the winner. Looking over his shoulder, White noticed two people in lab coats placing the last Keeper on a stretcher. White hoped she would stay alive long enough for him to meet her in person, she looked strong and quite possibly could unlock the secrets to White's cannon, which was now back on his arm.

The four of them walked back the way they came, as the Obroseon Guardian house was just across the street from Guardian Tower. The four of them walked inside to find a similar interior as the Guardian Tower, Dark blue with a blue-green trim. White walked up to the receptionist, who greeted them with a smile.

"Welcome to Obroseon's Guardian house! All you need to do is tell me your name and how many are with you."

"Whitestar, here with three others." The receptionist nodded, typing the information into her computer.

"Room 123, first floor down that hallway to your right." White nodded.

"Thanks a lot, have a good evening." The receptionist smiled and handed White a card.

"You too, good night!" As it turned out, the Guardian house was set up much like a hotel. Electronic locks, well designed interior, hallways with doors every ten feet. It was scary how close this place looked to the real world, and if he hadn't been looking through it in a monitor he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference,

By the time White opened the door to their room he himself was yawning and tired. Winston, the last one inside, closed the door behind him. The room had four beds, a bathroom, a few lamps sitting on small tables, and a desk in the corner of the room. No dresser or television. White flopped his Guardian on one of the beds and hit the 'escape' button. A window popped up asking White if he would like to log out.

"Good night guys, see you tomorrow." White said in a tired voice.

"Night guys!" DJ exclaimed, clearly not very tired. Rose just grunted.

"Remember, we get our armor and go fight some enemies tomorrow." Winston reminded them. White nodded, then hit his Y key, confirming that he wanted to log out. His monitor quickly went back to his desktop, other programs once again accessible. But because of how wiped he suddenly realized he was, he flopped into his bed and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Rick's House_

_9:30am_

Rick woke up slowly that morning, giving himself a few moments to recall the events of last night, jumping awake when he remembered BRSO, and the Keeper battle. Realizing he had to get ready as soon as possible, he grabbed whatever clothes he could find, raced through his shower, and settled for taking a bowl of cereal into his room as he booted up Cloud, finding Colin already online and waiting. Rick sent the first message.

_Good morning!_

_What's up man, ready to play some more BRSO?_

_ You know it! Any idea where Sofia and Scott are?_

_ Not really, but I'll be waking them up soon regardless *grins evily*_

Rick sighed, knowing Sofia wasn't going to take a wake-up call from Colin very well.

_Don't do that. Considering what happened last night I'm surprised I didn't have any nightmares._

_ I guess you're right, those graphics were way too real, even if the fighting itself was awesome._

Rick suddenly got an alert in the bottom right of his screen. _Scott is online._ Rick added him to the chat room, but instead of typing, Scott decided to actually the both of them.

"Good morning guys." Scott greeted in his usual happy but slightly monotone voice.

"And good morning to you too 'Winston.'" Colin deepened his voice when he said the name of Scott's Guardian, clearly making a joke out of the name.

"Please you two, not this early in the morning, I'm still eating breakfast." Rick moaned. Colin sighed.

"I'm just saying."

"So, what was everyone's first impressions of BRSO last night?" Scott asked, sounding almost displeased.

"Truth be told, gory. I know the game had a mature rating but I wasn't expecting _that._" Rick replied with a mouthful of cereal.

"Yeah I agree, the action was amazing and the girls are so hot, but it's like they were trying to perfectly re-create reality, and succeeded." Scott sighed.

"I talked to Sofia after you both logged out, she'll be on in a minute but what happened last night brought back painful memories. We probably shouldn't watch one of those 'Keeper fights' again." Everyone was in silent agreement.

Sofia's "painful memories" date back to when her mother was fighting in the Middle East a few years ago. Her squad had been attacked while they were on patrol, and only one of them made it back alive, two days later we got a phone call, while at school. It was not only cruel but Sofia didn't take it well when she heard the detailed story, which not even Rick knew. Sofia preferred not to talk about it, and nobody pressured her.

"Good morning everyone!" Sofia muttered as she entered the call.

"Good morning sleeping beauty! Hope all the little monsters didn't come out of your closet last night!"

"Hmm, as soon as we get online I'm going to kill you…" was Sofia's half-asleep reply. The one thing about Sofia that we all quickly figured out in our many weekends of online gaming were that she had a hard time waking up in the morning.

"Let's try to avoid tearing each other's throats out today, don't forget that we start fighting the Thilan Empire, save your anger for then."

"Mmm, I don't think I'll be able to wait until then, I wanna shoot something…'" Sofia moaned, and Rick smiled, Sofia was downright adorable when she was this tired, acting all tough but still too early in the morning to do anything about it.

About to suggest that they continue this conversation in BRSO, Rick realized he had forgotten to do the only chore that he was responsible for on the weekends. Had he not remembered to do this he would be beyond a dead man. His parents were always up at ten am sharp, and if they found out that Rick hadn't made their coffee…

"Hang on real quick guys, I gotta go take care of something really quick, if I don't do this now I'm gonna get busted and then I won't be able to do anything today." Rick heard Colin snicker as he started to take off his headset.

"Better get your parents coffee before they bust your…" Rick didn't hear any more as he flew out of his room and into the kitchen, checking the clock, 9:55. He had five maybe ten minutes to get two well made cups of coffee. Pulling out two mugs from the cupboard, Rick began the process, not even glancing at the instant-coffee maker that his parents used for when there were guests over. Rick had tried that once when he had woken up _really_ late one weekend, and he hadn't been able to touch his computer for two weeks afterwards.

Rick was putting in the last spoon of honey into his father's cup as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Quickly putting the spoon into the sink after a few rushed stirs, Rick placed the two mugs on the counter behind him and turned around as his father rounded the corner, yawning and scratching his arm.

Jacob Brighton, Rick's upbeat and loving father, helped run a small sports equipment shop on the far side of town named Champ Guard. He was known for being able to give customers the best possible service, often taking the employee of the month award for months at a time. Jacob loved everything about his job, the people, the competition, the sweat, and the jokes he could crack at any moment.

Rick had always felt somewhat bad that he had chosen to go into computers rather than go into sports like his dad did, but Jacob didn't seem to mind, in fact he supported the programming work that Rick was doing, saying that it was "the future of mankind."

"Morning Rick, how was your new game?" Jacob asked yawning, walking past Rick and grabbing his coffee.

"It was great, do we have any plans today?" Rick asked, inwardly nervous since he wanted to spend as much time with his friends online as he could. Jacob, catching the hint in his son's voice, smiled.

"Well I'm going to be down at the store all day, and I think your mom is going to take Leah shopping and then take the day off since her job has been really busy, so you should be able to play with your friends all day today." Jacob rubbed Rick's head before lazily walking back out of the room and up the stairs. For his family, a small conversation like that wasn't uncommon. Everyone had things they needed to accomplish, so sitting around the table and talking was more of a dinner activity.

With his Saturday chores completed, Rick slid back into his room, pulling the BRSO headset over his head.

"Alright guys I'm ready when you are." But Rick realized that the call had ended and there was a message in the chat box from Scott.

_We're headed to BRSO, see you at the Guardian Tower._ Rick was going to slap all three of them for being so impatient. Clicking on the BRSO icon on his desktop, all of his other programs shut down as his screen filled with the login screen.

White opened his eye to find himself in the same room as when he logged off, except for the fact that Rose, Winston, and DJ were already minutes ahead of him. Grabbing his cannon, which was leaning on the side of the bed, White turned off the lights and left the room, heading back down the hall to the receptionist desk. It surprised White to find someone else there, since normally the same NPC is tasked to something for all hours of the day. _Guess they're really trying to make this place seem like reality, so it's a new shift._ After turning in the room key to the new receptionist, White ran outside to find hovering cars crossing back and forth, traveling across the road.

Realizing that this road must have been disabled for the local vehicles for the first night, White looked up and down the street for a crosswalk, finding one on either end and exactly the same distance away. Deciding at random, White went left, holding his massive cannon over one shoulder. Interestingly, the NPC's around him, the citizens of Obroseon, were giving White and his cannon funny looks. A little boy actually walked up to him and tugged on his pant leg.

"Excuse me are you a Guardian?" White smiled and was about to answer when a woman, presumably the boy's mother, grabbed the arm of the child and dragged him away.

"Charlie get back here, you stay away from strangers!" White got the feeling she was scolding the boy not because he was talking to a stranger, but because she was afraid of what he would do to her son. _Understandable, after all aren't we supposed to be warriors from another world?_

"It's alright ma'am I don't bite." The woman didn't reply, instead she followed the group as they started walking across the street. White sighed and followed behind, wondering if the other Guardians had gotten the same greeting he did, the little incident still in his mind as he was ambushed at the tower, crashing right into a girl.

"Owowowowowow, watch where you're going block head! Wait, White?" SMACK. As if the pain from bumping into Rose wasn't enough he got _smacked_ by her too? Wait, he could _feel_ that hit, what was going on?

"Wait, Rose why are you saying 'ow' if this is a video game?" Rose turned around and gave DJ a concerned look.

"I have no idea." Winston raised a hand.

"I believe I know why, this morning I read somewhere that the headset that came with this game sends harmless signals to our brains whenever we get hit, so we feel any pain that we receive in the game."

"So what happens if we die?" Rose asked with a worried tone.

"If the pain reaches above a certain point the headset will stop transmitting, the goal is to have feeling as part of the experience, but not so much that people don't want to play anymore." Winston calmly replied. White realized something about the look of his friends.

"Wait a second, you guys all have armor now!" Their armor matched the colors of the clothes they had under them. DJ was wearing massive armor to fit his body, colored dark green without any fancy patterns, and the same went for Sofia's pink armor and Winston's black armor. DJ laughed.

"Yeah, it's not very cool but at least it's shiny and comes with a shield," White rolled his eyes.

"So just walk up to the counter and tell them you're name?" he guessed. Winston nodded.

"Apparently we're among the last one's to get out armor, and only a few hundred Guardians haven't already left on the train for the front lines."

"Alright, I'll get my armor on and then I have to go to a shop that's located somewhere in town."

"To get that strap for your cannon like that Keeper had?" Sofia guessed. White nodded.

"You wouldn't believe how much of a pain it is to carry this thing around all the time, speaking of which, hold this." White left his cannon with Rose before leaving the group to retrieve his armor, throwing an "I'll be right back" over his shoulder as he walked up to the counter.

"Name please." The receptionist asked in a monotone voice.

"Whitestar." White answered calmly, glancing at the male receptionist's name tag, which read "Alex."

"Whitestar… interesting, no armor for you, just a specialized while jacket equipped with a powerful shield, so be careful out there alright?" White, who was beyond confused at this point, accepted the jacket with a "thanks" and swapped out his dark blue jacket for the white one, which felt a little small but still fit for the most part. Not willing to take the time to figure out where his storage locker was, White placed his other jacket in his bag and pulled out the data pad which held the information on it.

"Just a jacket? Why do I get the feeling these guys are trying to throw White under the bus here." DJ commented with a note of amusement.

"Don't forget you said that about White's cannon too." Rose pointed out as she handed white his weapon back to him, which he leaned against the wall as he scrolled through the pad looking for the information on his weapon.

_Weapon Name: White Rock Cannon_

_Weapon Type: Rock Cannon_

_Weapon Class: Shooter_

_Power Rank: S+_

_Historical Data: A weapon designed for a Keeper. The original owner of this weapon died in a training accident almost two years ago when a bomb prop had accidentally replaced a real bomb in a training session. Use it well Guardian, for there is no other weapon like it anywhere on Blue Rift._

_Other Note: If you don't want to carry around that cannon on your arm all the time, head for Keepsake Weapons on Macfer street, just take a left from this tower and then it's two blocks on your right. Ask to speak to Riho, she'll get you what you need. Good luck out there Guardian, take care of that weapon, it may soon be the last memory of the Keepers._

_Good Luck Guardian. – Guardian Manager Iori._

White looked over the note again with interest, and he began to wonder if he was a special part of the game or something, or if it was just chance. The last memory of the Keepers? Sounded like someone was aware that the Keepers were going to be destroyed and wanted to keep them alive somehow, but by giving a weapon of a long gone Keeper to a Guardian?

"Alright guys I know where we need to go, follow me." With the gang behind him, White followed the directions of the note, having to cross several streets and getting some strange looks from pretty much everyone they bumped into, a few even asked their companions in a low tone why they weren't on the front lines. The four Guardians ignored them, not wanting to pick a fight in the middle of the streets and risk getting penalized on their second day of playing the game.

"Keep an eye out for a shop named 'Keepsake Weapons,' that's where we need to go." White informed the group as they walked down Macfer street.

"On which side of the street will it be on?" Rose asked.

"The note didn't say, only that the shop was here." White replied.

"I think it's rather weird that we have to ask for this Riho chick directly, shouldn't any of the guys in there be able to help us?" DJ wondered with his hands behind his head.

"Maybe Riho is the one who designed the White Rock Cannon, or maybe she's a master of the Rock Cannon weapon class, either way I think following these directions is in our best interest." White replied, still unable to find the shop. Winston suddenly placed a hand on White's shoulder, stopping him.

"Wait, this looks like a weapons shop." Turning to his left, White realized that he was right. The building was three stories tall, but the first floor seemed to be dedicated to the shop, which about half of the long building, which had to be at least thirty feet long, was open like a garage. Weapons lined the walls and there was an empty receptionist desk on the right hand side. Looking up, White found the store unmarked.

"You sure this is it?" DJ asked, unsure.

"Only one way to find out!" Rose declared as she marched inside, ringing the bell that was on the counter.

"Coming!" A male voice answered. A few seconds later, a boy looking roughly eighteen ducked through the curtain that most likely hid the (), rubbing his hands off with a wash cloth. He was wearing a worn out jeans and a T-shirt whose logo faded long ago. He paused briefly, looking over the group. "Wow, you're the first Guardians to come into the shop! How can I help you four today?" With a nudge from Rose, White stepped forward, holding up his cannon with both hands.

"I need to see Riho, I was told she could help me with getting a holster for this." The boy looked over the cannon, and his eyes grew wide with shock.

"How did you get that, Master Riho, you need to get out here quick!" There was a crashing sound and a few curse words before a woman looking to be in her thirties stepped out, even more dirty than the boy.

"What is it Oris, this had better… be…" Riho stopped when her eyes rested on the cannon, and White shifted uncomfortably. He hoped this wasn't going to end up being a mistake, he wouldn't hear the end of it from DJ. The gaze of Riho shot up to meet White's eyes, and the glare was enough to kill. White could swear he felt a drop of sweat coming from his actually body.

"How did you get this." She demanded, slamming her hands on the table.

"I- I got it in a random weapon raffle when I first got here, I was told to come here to get a way to more easily carry it around." White stammered, flinching under the woman's gaze. "I didn't steal it, honestly!" Riho sighed.

"I know you didn't, even a Guardian couldn't steal from a Keeper. I always wondered what they would do with one of their weapons when they died. Tell me, when did you receive this weapon?"

"Last night, before the Keeper battle." White replied honestly.

"So that means that White died before last night, well that would explain those stories about Black that I've heard." White glanced back at his companions, who all shrugged with the same amount of confusion.

"Forgive me for asking, but what are you talking about?"

"You were at that little Keeper event last night correct?" Riho asked, ignoring White's question. White nodded.

"Did a keeper with a black version of this cannon shoot at you?" White nodded again.

"Twice actually, once at the wall in what looked like an escape attempt, and then the second time right at me." Riho looked back down at the cannon, tapping her fingers on the counter as she thought.

"What did you think of last night's contest?" White thought back to the night before, the blood being shed, the very realistic graphic, and that fact that it looked like they didn't want to kill each other. True it may have been fun while the adrenaline was high, but it only made the whole thing worse. Had this happened in real life, there would have been an uproar, and thinking about it this morning only made him sure, that competition had been a mistake.

"If I ever see something like that again someone is going to die." White replied coldly.

"That goes double for me." Rose added, stepping forward.

"Cute girls killing each other? Not cool." DJ sighed. Winston just nodded, clearly trying to get into his role-play. Riho looked back and forth, clearly assessing the groups answers.

"Alright last question, who sent you to see me?" White handed his data pad over to Riho, who looked it over. "Iori huh, well that would be just like her. Alright, I'll explain what's going on but not out here." Riho gestured towards the crowd massing outside the shop thanks to the shouting episode that had happened earlier. Waving for the four Guardians to follow, the two gunsmiths ducked back through the curtain.

The backside of "Keepsake Weapons" was an absolute disaster zone. Scraps of metal, paint, and dust were everywhere, tools all over the place, and it was way too hot. Not to mention there was absolutely nowhere to sit. As White looked around trying to figure it out, Riho clearly had other ideas, pushing open a part of the wall to reveal a secret room. Once again, Riho motioned the group inside.

"Watch the shop Oris." Riho ordered. Oris looked disappointed that he wasn't going to hear the conversation in the secret room but didn't protest, retuning to a seat towards the front side of the room. White didn't get a chance to see what he was working on before the door closed, sealing shut.

The room was fancier than White had expected, lit only by candles, there were enough couches and chairs to seat roughly nine people, a table in the center of the room, and a vending machine in the opposite corner of the room from the door. Nothing fancy with the floor or walls, which appeared to be concrete for the floor and plain white painted for everything else.

"So, why did you drag us into this secret room again?" Rose asked, looking around. Riho sat down in one of the chairs, resting her head on her hand, which no longer had the gloves the had been wearing a few moments earlier.

"Because this room is soundproof. What I'm about to tell you could probably get me killed if it was heard by the wrong people. Rose's eyes widened and she sat down without another word. "Let's start with introductions. Riho Kuse, Master gunsmith and the only crafter of rock cannons in Obroseon."

"I'm White; this is Rose, DJ, and Winston." Riho raised an eyebrow when White introduced himself, but didn't say anything.

"You mentioned something about a 'black' and a 'white' earlier, what were you talking about?" Winston asked with a note of interest.

"Not what, who. I was talking about Black Rock Shooter and White Rock Shooter."

"Those are the names of Keepers right?" Rose guessed. Riho nodded, lighting a cigarette.

"The Keeper's were lab bred, test tube babies if you will, their genes hand selected and modified to make them the perfect soldiers. What makes Black and White so special is that they're only two what I guess you could call sisters. At first they intended to make two of White Rock Shooter, but the DNA of the copy somehow mutated, creating Black Rock Shooter. And the two are basically twins." White sat down next to Rose and exchanged a glance, a genetic accident created the now last Keeper alive? It was quite the accident, but what disturbed White more is that this government bred kids just so they could fight one another to raise money. DJ actually had the courage to ask the question out loud.

"So wait, they created twins only to have them fight seventeen years later? Who would do such a thing to such cute girls?" His voice sounded frustrated and accusative, clearly he was taking this well, in his own way at least. Riho sighed

"Let me start at the beginning before lover boy over there loses his mind. Seventeen years ago the war against the Thilan Empire had just taken a turn for the worst, and the people were starting to get concerned that we would lose the war. To put in perspective for you, we were losing almost four thousand innocents every day. The council needed to do something, so they decided to create a human superweapon in the form of lab grown teenagers."

"They were supposed to be the heroes of Blue Rift?" White interrupted, shock filling his voice. Riho gave him a death glare, basically telling White to shut up.

"Yes, now don't interrupt. Don't you Guardians have manners?" White looked at the ground, embarrassed that an NPC told him off. "I don't know why they're called Keepers and I don't know much about the first ten years of their lives, but what I do know is that I was approached by a man who was overseeing the project roughly seven years ago. He wanted custom made weapons out of a strange new metal that I had never even heard of before, and gave me a list of Keepers complete with their fighting style and preferred type of weapon." White glanced down at his cannon, which had to be made out of the strange metal, wondering how someone who was supposed to be a super weapon would die.

"I figured that he was giving me more information than he was supposed to, but it helped me do my job. The guy gave me all the information I know on the Keepers too, surprised I actually gave a damn at the time. But something happened in the council and the Keepers were replaced with you Guardians. Beyond that everything else is a mystery. I don't know how White Rock Shooter died or what happened to the rest of the Keepers after I made the weapons. The man kept me informed up until he told me about the Keeper match." White continued to look over the weapon, and now Black shooting at him made sense. _She must have been furious when she saw me with her sister's cannon._

"Of course none of that matters now though, Black's the only one left and she isn't going to live very long." Riho stood up. "You came here looking for a better way to carry that thing around right? Actually I never got to deliver the harness for the White Rock Cannon, so I'll go find that for you, just promise me one thing." White looked up at Riho, who was standing over him with another glare. "Take care of that cannon, those weapons I made for the Keepers were special. I think it's the only time I actually cared about the safety of those taking weapons I made." Riho left the room, pulling on a handle to move the heavy concrete door as it slid. The four Guardians just sat there in silence. They had just learned something that no one else on Blue Rift could ever know about, supposedly anyway.

"You know, the deeper we get into this, the less it seems like a game." Rose sighed.

"We've only been at this for two days but you're right, those are some _really _advanced NPC's. You saw the way she reacted to White cutting her off, that wasn't a scripted conversation." DJ sighed. "Man this is more drama than I signed up for." Rose grinned.

"No kidding, 'lover boy.' I like this woman, she's got spunk."

"So what happens now." Winston asked. "We know the truth about the Keepers, what do we do with it?"

"Nothing for now," White replied. "For now we need to report to the front lines to prevent anyone from getting suspicious, but I want to find out more about Black and White Rock Shooter, and the only way we do that is by talking to Black." As White finished the door opened back up, revealing Oris holding some kind of white harness.

"Here, put this on. My master made a few improvements to this over the years in case she ever got the chance to give this to White, the other one that is." The harness didn't look like it could hold the cannon at all, there were a few straps that looked like they would slip on over White's shoulders like a back pack, but other than that it was like one open ended hat for the cannon. White looked at Oris with confusion.

"How does this thing work exactly?" White asked as he took the harness from Oris.

"Put it on and I'll show you." White did as he was told, and found that there wasn't much weight to the device itself, but White did feel something strange bumping against his back. Oris, taking the cannon from the table, pushed it against White's back, there was a clicking sound and although he couldn't feel any additional weight on his body, he somehow knew that there was more weight there.

"What did you just do?"

"Dude, you have no idea how cool that looks." DJ grinned. White spun around, trying to see what the apprentice had done.

"That harness has two what we call 'smart magnets.' Unless you put your hand in that cannon in pull it out, it won't budge." Oris explained as White finally found the cannon, the trigger end of the cannon sticking out behind his right shoulder at an angle where he could easily reach back with his right hand and grab it.

"Wow, this is really cool." White complemented as he tested it, pulling the cannon out and returning it a few times before turning to Oris. "Thanks, this is going to make my life so much easier." Oris nodded and escorted the group back to the front of the shop, Riho not even glancing up from her work.

"Come back anytime, and don't worry about the cost, this one is on the house!" Oris smiled, and White waved.

"Thanks a lot! Next time we come back we'll tell you all about our adventures!" Oris's eyes brightened as the four of them started to walk away.

"Really! All right, come back soon!" Despite learning a horrible truth, the four of them left the shop in good spirits in knowing that the Keepers weren't designed to be war machines, but the next question on White's mind was how to get Black out of the clutches of that stadium.

"Hey White, you already scheming how to safe her?" DJ laughed. "Man, you might just be more of a ladies' man than I am!" White rolled his eyes and elbowed DJ.

"Yeah right dude, like anyone could top you. But yeah, that's the plan later on, for now we should follow Winston's suggestion and make our way to the front lines, despite all of this corruption and bad ideas of how to deal with the Thilan Empire, they are of course why we're here. So, is everyone ready to blow stuff apart?" Rose gave an evil grin, DJ a thumbs up, and Winston just nodded.

**To be honest I had more planned for this chapter but this seemed like a good place to end it. Got stalled on the fighting scenes, (kind of my weakness as a writer…) but worked through it. Got some great plans for Ch.4 and 5, *grins evilly.* Anyhow if you have any questions please don't be afraid to ask them, I'll make sure I get them answered when I release the next chapter! Have a great weekend everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, sorry I'm late, I had to re-write the chapter once, didn't go in the direction I wanted it to so I had to scrap it and start over again. Also less time for me to write since I'm often watching the League of Legends Championship Series Thur-Sun when I'm not actually PLAYING the game. Still, I hope to be on time in two weeks.**

**Rest in peace Monty Oum, you will be dearly missed.**

**COMMENTS ON CHAPTER THREE AND BEYOND:**

**Crimson Homura:**

**Oh my god, this is going to be awesome. I'm guessing that they are going to rescue Black after learning 'the truth', but Black will just go rage on them when she sees the cannon.**

SHHH NO SPOILERS… ;)

**UnkownSoul:**

**Aaaahhhhh... great chapter, nothing else to say!**

Tried to think of some witty pun to use hear, (and I thought hard) but I got nothing. Regardless thanks and hope you enjoy this chapter!

**BRSLoverr:**

**Oh mi god I cant wait for the next chapter! Your work is absolutely brilliant!**

Glad you like the story so much! Hope this chapter pleases!

**Alright that's everyone, hope this one is somewhat enjoyable!**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Squad Keeper**

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location__: Obroseon Grand Station_

_Time__: 11:15 P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

After thirty minutes of being lost, asking strangers for directions, and following DJ's unparalleled failure at picking direction, White felt relief as he stood inside the biggest train station on Blue Rift, Obroseon Grand Station. The whole place was lit by numerous chandeliers at least two stories above where he was standing, and what wasn't illuminated by those was covered by other fancy looking lights that hung from the walls. In a few words, rich, stylish, and classy.

"This place is like it came out of a fairy tale!" Rose exclaimed, dashing forwards and looking around with a sparkle of wonder in her eye.

"Yeah, seems wasted on a train station that took way too long to find though." Winston commented with a quick glance at DJ, who rushed to defend himself.

"There were two streets okay! We had a fifty-fifty shot, and as it turns out this _wasn't_ some rich guys' mansion in the middle of the city! Sorry for making mistakes!" White waved his hand up and down, signaling for DJ and Winston to no ruin the moment while keeping his eyes focused on the electronic board that was attached to the wall in front of them, since the glamour and size of the station only lasted in the waiting area.

"Alright guys cool it, we need to find out which train we're taking to get to the western front of Kheawuton, otherwise we're going nowhere fast." So focused on the board of arrivals and departures, White almost didn't feel Winston tapping on his shoulder, who then pointed to a hallway on the eastern side of the room guarded by an armed man.

"What makes you think that's it?" White asked.

"Why would they have a single guarded hallway?" Winston countered. After taking a brief moment to bring Rose back to the real world, the group walked over to the guard, who noticed them a few feet before they were stopped.

"Stragglers, glad you made it in time." The soldier commented neutrally, not even looking up from his data pad. "The last train is just about to leave, all the Guardians left behind were going to be stuck cleaning bathrooms until tomorrow." White, Rose, and DJ all got disgusted looks on their faces before dashing down the hall with Winston close behind. The words of the station guard enough to force White to step on it. _No way I'm spending a Saturday cleaning virtual toilets!_

The hallway was plain, illuminated by dimmed lights without anything special. White figured it was because the tunnel served a military over civilian purpose and therefore didn't require any special decoration, but damn was this a long tunnel! By the time White shot out of it and into the () it felt like he had ran a mile. He wanted a moment to catch his breath but a whistle from the sleek blue hover-train meant that they had to move.

"Wait for us, we're coming!" Rose shouted in distress as the doors started to close, the group clearly too far away to make it in time. Just as White was ready to admit defeat when the doors closed, the suddenly opened again with a man dressed in what looked like a navy blue military uniform glaring at the four.

"We got word from Stan you were coming, and the commander almost left you here. If we didn't need every man possible to defeat the Thilan you'd be back in boot. Never again is that clear?" White had his hands on his knees and was panting too hard to answer right away, although he tried. "Is that clear?" The man asked again.

"Perfectly, crystal clear." White managed to pant out. The man narrowed his eyes, pausing a moment before raising his voice.

"When you talk to me or anyone above my rank you will respond properly, is that understood?"

"Yes Sir!" The four Guardians answered, White in particular giving more force behind his voice in this response, unwilling to get yelled at again.

"Good, Lieutenant Colonel Beals, now go find yourselves a seat and enjoy your last moments of peace." Beals ordered.

"Yes Sir." White quickly ran past Beals and sat down in one of the booths towards the back, finding he had to sit at a strange angle to get comfortable because of his cannon. White and Rose had ended up with the window seats, White taking the seat closest to the back and Winston sitting down next to him.

"Geez he was scary, what does he think this is the military?" DJ's rhetorical question was answered by three annoyed glares.

"Did you really just ask that?" White sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, bad attempt at a joke I'll take the blame for this." DJ replied, leaning back against his seat, the four of them sitting in silence for a moment.

"So, how long can everyone be on today?" White asked, trying to get a conversation rolling again.

"I have all day, my father is in the board room all day so I have the house to myself." Winston stretched his hands out above his head. "More time to kill some Thilan." DJ gave a wicked grin.

"I've got all day too, more time for shooting."

"Guess that means we're spending all day on BRSO then, I just can't wait to try out my baby." Rose commented, patting the sniper rifle on her back. "But one thing White, how are you going to stay alive with that Jacket? Black's didn't exactly help her in the arena." White shrugged.

"I didn't get a data pad telling me what this thing could do; I was just told that it had a powerful shield."

"I hope it's enough to take a rocket, because if it can't you won't last very long." DJ smirked. "I can picture it now, you in your pretty white jacket flying through the air as you take a missile to the face." White rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah just keep talking tough guy, you'll be the first one here to start crying for mommy." DJ laughed.

"If that happens I'm more likely to throw the headset across the room!" There was a small jolt, White looked out the window to find that the train had started to move, and quickly. It appeared that the train didn't need a lot of acceleration time and within two or three seconds was already going maybe eighty miles per hour.

"Any idea how long it's going to take us to reach Kheawuton?" Rose asked, looking out the window. Winston pulled out his own data pad from his small backpack and began to scroll through it.

"It's going to be at least three hours, real time from the looks of it too. I guess there isn't much to do except wait." White rested his head against the wall. Despite the BRSO headset being able to send signals to replicate the bodies senses in the game, White didn't feel like he was actually on a train. And he doubted he was going to be able to just sleep through this trip sitting at his deck. _We're in for a long train ride._

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Keeper Holding Cells, Obroseon Grand Stadium_

_Time:__ Roughly 3:00pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

Black had received extensive medical care upon returning to the underground facility where she was held captive. All but one of the doctors didn't seem like they cared is Black was comfortable or not, just that she lived. Black didn't recognize any of the treatments the doctors used, but she didn't get much of a chance to look at them, as everything they injected her with flooded her senses with an overwhelming feeling of pain. For the first time in her life, Black was sure she had screamed, unable to control her own feelings.

That's when one doctor, presumably the man in charge, came storming into the room, shouting things that Black couldn't make out at his colleagues. The rant lasted about five minutes and then Black slowly lost all feeling in her body before blacking out.

The next thing Black knew, she was back in her cell, all her wounds healed and her weapons gone. Once again she was trapped, but this time she had even less hope. It hadn't taken her long to recall the events of the previous evening, and to remember that not only were all over her fellow Keepers dead, but someone had used a form of mind technique to get them to kill each other.

_But why didn't it work on me? I felt no urge to kill in that arena._ Black sat on the edge of her stone hard bed, trying hard to think of the methods that could have been used to turn the Keepers against each other. Could they have somehow used their telepathic network? No, Black realized that was impossible. Not only did they not know about it, but using that to influence the Keepers would have worked on her as well, and the same would have applied to any form of transmitted signal being broadcast. Then Black remembered something that had happened just before she had stepped into the arena. _Whatever they injected into my neck perhaps? But that doesn't explain it either, unless I somehow got a faulty device._ If that was the case Black knew that the scientists who came in before might return, but Black didn't see the point. There was no reason for her _not_ to fight and stay alive now.

The sound of movement outside Black's cell put her on full alert. Unlike the night before, she planned on resisting any injections or experiments. _I will not assist the enemy in defeating myself._

The shield surrounding the door faded, swinging open to reveal a man in black pants, a dark blue button down shirt, and a slightly lighter blue lab coat similar to the ones worn by the doctors last night, or were those green? Black's memory was too fuzzy to remember accurately. Behind the man were at least three guards armed with rocket launchers, meaning that there was no chance for Black to use this moment to escape.

"Doc I can't recommend going through with this." One of the guards told the blue coat man in a worried tone.

"She's my patient dammit, I'm not going to stand around and wait for Eastil to order some tests before I know for sure she can handle them safely!" The doctor replied, clearly annoyed with the recommendations of the soldiers guarding her cell.

"If you don't walk out of this cell alive, it's not our problem." The soldier replied with a shrug, closing the door as the doctor walked inside. Black stood up and took a defensive stance, ready to knock the doctor out if he came too close.

"Those guards, always too cautious for their own good, but I guess they have a reason to be afraid. They know how strong you are, and I guess I should thank you for not killing me already."

"What do you want?" Black asked, watching for any sudden movements which would give her an excuse to sever the man's head.

"First to introduce myself. Chief of Medicine Syed Royle, just call me Sy. Second, to make sure you're okay, since you're going to need every ounce of strength to survive all of Eastil's tests."

"Why are you helping them?" Black asked, keeping her tone neutral and without any emotion. Sy smiled and shrugged.

"To be honest, I was originally with Project Keeper because I believed that you would save us all, but when your purpose was changed I figured I'd stick around and give you a friendly face, since everyone else here only see's you as weapons."

"Why haven't I seen you before now?" Black asked, wondering if this was some kind of trick to get Black to open herself to weakness. Sy risked leaning against the back wall, Black tensed but didn't move.

"Because of Obroseon standard medical practices, the Chief of Medicine only get's directly involved in the most severe cases. Everything else is left to the other doctors. Since you all were so precise in your training, there was nothing worse than a few cuts and bruises, except of course for one incident." Black knew what he was talking about, the accident with her sister nine years ago.

"You were the one who failed to save White?" Black asked, anger creeping into her voice.

"Yes, and it pains me every day. Your sister was the only patient I haven't saved since I started practicing medicine. They say the first loss is the hardest, but having to oversee her sister and keep going, I still don't know if I've gotten over that yet." Although his voice was strong, Black could sense the truth in Sy's words, this man could be a valuable ally, as long as she didn't get too attached. Of course there was still one last pressing question that she hadn't gotten an answer to.

"So why are you here?" Sy sighed.

"Don't I get to ask any questions of my own? Since you're my last patient and we're broken away from stand procedure I was hoping to get a few of my own questions of my own answered.

"You haven't earned the right to ask me anything." Sy let out a sharp breath and pushed himself off the wall.

"I figured as much, here take this." Sy threw an object at Black, who caught it mid air and looked at it, and was surprised to find a paperback book, called _Rebellion Rising_.

"Where did you get this, books like these are almost extinct." Sy, who had opened the door and had almost walked out, turned to give Black a knowing smile.

"I think you'll find I'm full of surprises." With that Sy shut the door, leaving Black alone in the cell once again. She turned the book over a few times, knowing she shouldn't care about a bunch of paper with fictional stories, but at the same time she was interested, possibly out of boredom. It wasn't like she was getting out of this prison anytime soon. Sitting herself down on the bed, she opened the book and turned to the first page.

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location__: Kheawuton: Zina Sector_

_Time__: 14:25 (2:25pm) P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

The train ride had been so boring, no snacks, no movies, and no one feeling tired enough to sleep. In fact everyone had been so fed up with the travel time that they had pulled out their phones and had started playing games with each other back in the real world, rotating to get food since the train wasn't a logout zone. Everyone had breathed a sigh of relief when the train finally stopped.

"At last, I don't know how much longer I was going to be able to look at that wasteland." DJ commented, stretching his Guardians hand above his head. White raised an eyebrow and checked out the window.

"But the station is in the _middle_ of this wasteland."

"I know, but at least I won't have to look at it from a train, too depressing that way!" DJ replied, stretching a hand across his body.

"You're so weird DJ." Rose sighed. The sound of a clicking megaphone got their attention.

"Alright Guardians, you all know why you're here and who our enemy is. I expect everyone to register their squad with me after getting off the train and report right the general for your orders. The Thilan Empire has decided to rally their forces on an attack on our forward position, and we need every man to defend it. Let's move!"

White briefly stretched before standing up, double checking his cannon briefly before he left his seat.

"Finally, I get to blow everything up!" DJ announced, his muscular body hitting the table as he sharply brought himself to hit feet.

"I'm going to look forward to taking off some heads with my beauty." Rose commented, briefly loosing herself in some strange fantasy as she rubbed the barrel of her sniper.

"Then let's go get ourselves registered." Enough people had departed the train for the four of them to start working their way forward, but with the sea of Guardians trying to get out, it was impossible to try and weave through the crowd.

"You remember that we can't all die if we want to stay in this game." Winston pointed out as he tried to look out the windows to get an early look at the scene.

"I know, if anything goes wrong Rose will just snipe her way to us like she normally does." White replied with a smile.

"Ugh, please don't make me have to do that again, that was such a pain." Rose groaned.

"Yes, but we ended up the richest guild in that last MMO because of it." White reminded her with a massive grin on his face.

"No heroics please, I'd like at least a chance to get a date with one of these NPC's before you get us banished." DJ pleaded.

"Like you can land a date with a girl in the real world! What makes BRSO so special?" White asked with a note of amusement.

"Are you kidding? The girls here are much cuter than the ones in the real world!" DJ declared without hesitation.

"Are you saying I'm not cute?" Rose asked angrily, rounding on DJ with eyes of fire, and he quickly realized the mistake he made.

"T- that's not what I'm saying at all, you're just as cute as the girls here but you're not going to date me!" White rolled his eyes.

"Dude, you're only making this hole deeper, stop digging."

"This is the reason you can't get a date DJ, remember that." Winston patted DJ on the shoulder.

By this time the four of them were off the train, taking their first steps in the Kheawuton war zone. White noticed immediately that the whole city looked like it had gone through a nuclear apocalypse. More than half of the buildings were missing massive chunks, no vegetation anywhere, and no people. The whole place was a ghost town, the dry desert air drying White's mouth.

Based on the height of the buildings and the layout of the city (from what White could recall from his Human Geography class,) White guessed that Sanctuaries Army was camped out in the downtown business districts, the most cover but also lots of places for the enemy to sneak in from, which probably made it difficult to find a defendable location that could protect the train station.

The station itself wasn't that impressive though, and it looked like it had been modified from an old bus stop. The area around the hover train tracks was a mess of equipment and supplies, and the overhead cover looked like it had been thrown together in an efficient hurry. A few holes here and there but it was for the most part a stable building to provide some cover should the weather have turned wet.

"Alright everyone listen up!" White's attention was drawn back to the Colonel, who was standing on a large silver box in front of the train, just inside the cover. "This is how things are going to work, you will now get yourselves organized into squads. The council has informed me that you have the freedom to choose who is in your squad, but you must have no fewer than three and no more than six. If you do not find a group and get yourselves registered to me within thirty minutes I will personally organize you into a squad." It didn't take a genius to figure out who White was going to pair with. The group shared a fist bump before walking up to Colonel Beals.

"Why am I not surprised that the four of you are together, glad to see you're first at something." Beals snorted in amusement that wasn't as sarcastic as White had expected him to be. "So what's the name of your squad?" White looked back, but everyone was looking to him to give their squad a name.

"Squad Keeper." White informed the Colonel, who gave White a strange look before writing the name into the data pad using his finger.

"Interesting name, so you saw the Keeper event last night too? What you four fans or something?"

"God no!" Rose exclaimed, sounding appalled at the suggestion, "It was horrible, if anything we're honoring them with this name." Beals held up a hand to stop Rose before she could continue ranting.

"Relax, I'm with you. Those Keepers could have been used to keep us all safe, they had a lot of talent, damn politicians trying to make some quick money by selling tickets to watch minors kill each other. Alright, just tell me the names of everyone in your squad and we'll be good to go." Beals input the names of everyone as White read off everyone's names.

"Alright it's official, Squad Keeper it is. Go ahead and wait over on the other side of the station until I can get everyone else registered, we'll be heading out for our base in the center of Zina Park shortly." With a nod, the four Guardians left the Colonel to his registration duties and walked to the far corner of the train station. DJ leaned against one of the wooden supports, while White, Rose, and Winston all sat down. White was growing increasingly concerned for Rose, who once again was staring at the floor with a depressed look on her face. _The Keepers must remind her of what happened with her mother._ White realized internally, suddenly doubting if playing this game had been a good idea.

"Rose, what is it? Every time someone brings up the Keeper event you freak out, like it was happening in real life." Winston observed, sounding very confused. White realized that his friend hadn't transferred to their school district yet when Rose's mother died. It had been both heroic and tragic, and it took Rose almost a year to open about what happened.

"When is something like this not happening in real life? How could any game company think doing this was alright, and what's more no one seems to care! Everyone just sees them as toys to play with and enjoy before tossing them aside!" Rose cried, finally unable to hold back her tears. DJ sighed and shook his head.

"Maybe we should ask to take the train back to Obroseon and ask to quit, I don't know if we should put Rose through any more of this." Winston turned to him with the same look of confusion.

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?"

"Well, it's a little hard to explain…" White began, but was quickly cut off by Rose.

"No, let me. My mother's story is mine to tell, so let me tell it." DJ sighed again and White just started scratching Rose's back, which he guessed she could feel in the real world because the tension in her shoulders started to ease up. After a few moments of Rose taking some deep breaths, she began her story.

"It happened when Rick, Colin, and I were all still in grade school." Rose began, using everyone's real names despite still being in game. No one tried to correct her, figuring it was easier for their friend if she told the story this way.

"My mother was part of a special international police force that protected children from underground criminal societies. We didn't have to worry about anyone coming for us to try to get to mom, the government always made sure we were hidden, we even had different last names to help keep the connection hidden. It was really cool, my mother would always come back with presents and stories about all the kids she saved. Then one day she left, Europe is where she said she was going." Rose smiled but started crying again. White wanted to stop her but knew he would never hear the end of it if he did.

"We didn't hear from her in over a month. I didn't think anything of it, sometimes she was gone for three months at a time. But then one day a man showed up at our door, and somehow I knew she wasn't coming home again. The man gave me the journal she kept every day, despite the risk she ran by keeping one in her work. Every entry was addressed to me, and it explained every job she had ever done, the names of each kid she saved." Rose smiled. "I was so happy to know about all the good she did in the world. But this last one was about taking down a child slavery ring in Europe. Every entry was filled with determination, the next one more than the last as she got reports of the things that would happen to these kids, some as young as three. Then they went in, she saved them all, before having to manually detonate a bomb to stop the group from escaping." Rose broke down after that, her words coming out in sobs and barely audible. It was like she wasn't even trying to tell it like a story anymore but was just reliving the whole thing.

"They called… her a hero… but I hated them! They knew it was too dangerous to move in that night! Why? If they had just waited one more night, dad wouldn't be depressed, we wouldn't be living off the charity of everyone else! Why do people think that experimenting on kids, on anyone is okay?" White stopped Rose after that, quietly telling her that she had said enough, hugging her in an attempt to comfort her. Winston sat there stunned at the whole thing, now realizing why last night had been so hard. The whole thing was so close to how the game had progressed so far on Blue Rift with the Keepers.

"Rose I'm sorry, I had no idea." Winston apologized, but Rose shook her head, wiggling free of White.

"You couldn't have known. I haven't talked about it with anyone in years. I'll be okay, I just need to focus on something. I know I shouldn't be getting all worked up about the Keepers because this is a game, but it all feels real, the sights, the people, it almost feels like this isn't a game at all." Winston nodded.

"I know what you mean, this feels like some other reality, not a game. I wouldn't be surprised if this game ends up being the first artificial reality."

"Wait, does that mean there are no limitations on what we can do here?" DJ asked with a note of surprise in his voice. Winston shrugged.

"If that's true, we should be able to rescue the Keepers and stop whatever is going on in the government."

"Agreed, now let's get moving." White replied coldly, standing up. DJ raised an eyebrow.

"More determined than ever to save Black? What are you thinking of ditching the army?" White looked at DJ in confusion.

"What? No, I mean yeah kind of. But that's not what I meant. Look, the Colonel is about ready to start moving." DJ followed White's finger as it pointed to Colonel Beals, who was rallying the Guardians so they could start moving. White stood up.

"Alright everyone, keep in mind that the main reason the Keepers were created was because of the Thilan, so we can start by taking our anger out on them, what do you say?" Everyone nodded and followed White as their squad name was called.

White looked around, including Squad Keeper, there where nineteen teams of Guardians, most of them in groups of four or five, including the one group of six that had been put together with the remaining Guardians. It appeared to White that the Shooter class had been the most popular, probably because of the balanced spread of stats that the class had offered.

"Alright can I have everyone's attention!" Beals wasn't using the megaphone this time, and could barely be heard over the constant chatter of one-hundred Guardians. So after ten minutes of shouting and shushing from the Sanctuary soldiers that had been on the train with them, everyone was finally listening.

"You'd think this was the first grade." DJ snickered, and White smiled in reply.

"Alright, Welcome to the former Kheawuton capital city of Fisdan. This was one of the first cities to fall at the turn of the century seventeen years ago. Now it is your job to take it back. After you got yourselves organized I received a message from command regarding your orders. It has been stated by the council that you are free to take whatever initiative you deem necessary to stop the Thilan empire from pushing further into this city. Three and a half miles northwest of here is base camp Zina, which was held by General Medias in a massive Thilan attack ten years ago. Every time you wish to depart your Guardian bodies here on the front lines, you must go to that base. We understand that you may wish to return to Obroseon or visit one of the other kingdoms, this is fine as well. Every day at noon a train will arrive here to pick up and drop off Guardians, this will be your only time to come and go from the battlefield. Is that understood?" Nods from the audience signaled that the Guardians understood.

"Very well, now regarding your squads, let me remind you that should everyone in your squad perish, you will no longer be Guardians. However until everyone of you is on the ground eating dirt, none of you are dead. All you have to do is drag the bodies of your squad mates back to Zina, and we will get them back in the action. Meaning teamwork and caution are essential, now, go do some damage!" Squads of Guardians left, some together, others separately. White and the rest of Squad Keeper remained until the majority had left before moving north, trusting White to find them trouble.

"Hang on a second Squad Keeper, General Caelus has special orders for the four of you." White turned around and have Colonel Beals a look of confusion.

"What do you mean 'special orders'?" DJ rolled his eyes and began muttering under his breath, something about getting rid of the Keeper sympathizers.

"I told him you had a Keeper weapon, and the two of us agreed that you might be able to help us out of a bit of a tough spot."

"What kind of 'tough spot' are we talking about?" Winston asked cautiously.

"Would you four relax, I'm not about you to send you into a suicide mission!" Beals replied defensively.

"So what mission are we talking about, and how did you know about White's weapon being a Keeper weapon?" Rose asked in an accusing tone. Beals sighed in defeat, realizing that he wasn't going to gain the trust of White and his friends with his request that potentially could get them all killed.

"A few miles east of here is an old factory, used to produce heavy tanks and ammunition for the army. Two years ago it fell into enemy hands and has been pumping out enough of these heavy tanks to build a small city with. They can't get into the city because of their size but they've been creating massive problems across Kheawuton."

"And you want us to go clear it out?" White guessed, which got a shake of Beals' head in reply.

"Not quite, there's too many Thilan soldiers in the area to go reclaim it for ourselves, and the position is too hard to hold. No I want you to take a bomb and blow the place apart, it should lighten the load elsewhere for our army boys." It even _sounded_ like a suicide mission, go into the middle of enemy territory with a bomb strapped to our back and hope we can blow up a heavy weapons factory!

"Alright you can count on us!" White declared, giving a thumbs-up. His three friends gaped in shock.

"White you can't be serious!" Rose protested. "This is practically a suicide mission!" White turned and grinned at Rose.

"Exactly." Rose took a step back, her face now filled with confusion. She turned to Winston.

"What?" Was the only word she could muster.

"I think he means to say that we've thrived off of doing the impossible, and that we're going to test our limits, that right?" White shrugged.

"I don't know about the whole testing our limits thing, but the first part is right." White turned back to Colonel Beals, who was looking back and forth between Rose and White with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright, well we'll have someone deliver the bomb to a warehouse nearby the factory. I'll send your data pads with the coordinates of where to meet. Good luck you guys." Colonel Beals turned and walked past the group, muttering something about how they were all crazy but that's all White was able to catch.

"Man White, you sure get us into the craziest situations." DJ sighed. "Do you seriously think we're going to be able to destroy that factory?" Again, White shrugged.

"Who knows? To be honest I have no idea what to expect going into this, but they need a factory destroyed and we need something to do, works out great for everyone."

"There you go again White, coming up with reasons to justify your insanity. So how far west are we talking?" DJ asked, turning to Winston, who had to take a moment to retrieve his data pad from his bag.

"Looks like it's on the edge of the city, five or six miles away if I had to guess." DJ's jaw dropped.

"What, are you kidding me? We'll be walking for hours!" Winston smiled.

"Yes, through a city infested with Thilan troops, I'm sure you and your chain gun could use a warm up, now come up we should try and get there before midnight." Winston began walking eastward, out from under the cover of the train station and towards the now Thilan factory.

"Man, this game suuuuuuucks, you have to spend all day walking!" DJ groaned as he reluctantly followed behind. "And I still haven't gotten the chance to pick up any chicks!" Rose rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything.

"For the factory to be five or six miles away this city must be pretty big." White remarked, looking around the broken city. Scanning for anything of interest, or anything that needed to be killed.

"Not really, if you think about it this factory might actually be out in the suburbs, where it would be easier to create and move a massive tank." Winston explained, looking down at the data pad.

"What are you looking at this time?" White asked, trying to glance over Winston's shoulder. Winston tilted the screen towards White.

"Looking up what the army has on these heavy tanks, supposedly they can level an entire city block in a single shot."

"So why haven't they used them to reach the Sanctuary base?" DJ asked.

"Probably because they don't want to destroy the city in the process, why destroy an entire city when you have the numbers to simply take it over?" Rose answered.

"That assumes that the Thilan want to take over Blue Rift." White pointed out.

"What other explanation is there?" Rose asked. "Some kind of governmental corruption or something?" White shook his head.

"Please don't say that, you'll get us involved with some government conspiracy or something." DJ punched White in the arm.

"Too late dude, you got us all involved with the Keepers." DJ deepened his voice, "Now onward my friends, we must go save the world from those evil villains!" Rose and White laughed, it was a classic moment for the members of Squad Keeper, spend every moment enjoying life, even if it was just in front of a computer screen.

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location__: Zina Sector: Thilan Factory_

_Time__: 17:20 (5:20pm) P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

It took the better part of two and a half hours to walk all the way from the station to the edge of the suburbs, and it had been unusually quiet the whole way. They spent every second on guard, keeping an eye out for any signs of enemy activity. Their journey was mostly undisturbed, finding mostly broken chunks of buildings or the occasional stray dog. The one run in that they did have with the Thilan was a lone soldier salvaging some poor guy's former garage when they first entered the suburban areas, and Winston quickly put an end to that.

White found combat simple, when an enemy was near and he was looking to shoot him, a small circle appeared in on his screen that tracked with his cannon. The group took a minute to get used to the feature, since it was a lot different than any other first person shooter they had played in the past. Despite some of the controls still being tied to the keyboard, Winston had quickly discovered that all movements could be controlled with the headset both in and out of combat, meaning there was no actually need for key bindings in the real world other than to log out.

Along with the circle, an entire HUD had appeared, if that's what you could call it considering it didn't exactly have enough to be called complete. No ammo counter, no radar or motion sensor, no compass. All it showed was an arrow pointing to each of White's squad members, their shield percentage, and a bar at the top right of his screen with a percentage number under that for his own shields. _Not exactly much to work with, looks like most of this is stuff we're going to need to keep track of._

After another fifteen minutes of walking the sun finished setting, leaving the four Guardians to wonder around the area in the dark without any kind of night vision. Eventually White spotted the factory, It wasn't hard since it was the only structure with any kind of lights on, the difficulty had been finding a place to safely observe it.

The building itself looked a lot like some of the older factories not too far from a nearby city where White lived, three or four smaller square buildings around a massive version of the smaller ones with large tube-like structures that gave the waste a place to go, everything was a light brown color, making it plain and boring to look at.

White and the others were looking at the complex from atop a nearby building that could see most of the area around it thanks to its location on a nearby hill. The group were laying on their stomachs to keep themselves as hidden as possible while Rose checked the place out in greater detail with her scope.

"Check it out, front of the factory. You guys should be able to see it, even from this far away." Rose didn't even have to point towards it. A three story mechanical monstrosity was wheeling itself out of the factory. The thing looked like a giant red boulder that may or may not have resembled a man with two gigantic cannons on either side of the body.

"That… is big." DJ said in awe.

"No wonder General Caelus is worried about these things, three or four of them could take down an entire army by themselves." Rose put in.

"Probably why they chose to send in a small team, they won't want to use those tanks against us." Winston observed. White sat upright cross-legged and sighed.

"Alright let's go get this done. The guys should be here with our bomb anytime now." They got up from their small observation camp and walked back down the stairs to the second floor, where three soldiers in blue Sanctuary uniforms walked into the room as they started down the last flight of stairs. The one in front was looking around, followed by two more that were carrying a large silver container. White could tell they tried to set it down as carefully as possible, but it still slammed against the ground with a loud _thud_.

"Watch it you idiots, do you _want_ to get me killed?" The first soldier shouted over his shoulder.

"Keep shouting like that and the Thilan will find us here." Winston stopped halfway down and leaned on the railway, his voice filled with monotone annoyance. The soldier rounded on him.

"Says who? That factory has got to be so loud that they can't hear anything that we're doing up here!" White raised an eyebrow as he stepped onto the concrete floor.

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?" The soldier scowled, but White didn't pay any attention. "So, what kind of bomb is in there?" The two soldiers that had been carrying the rectangular silver box undid the latches and removed the top cover. Surrounded by blue protective material was a device that was shaped similarly to a model rocket, four semi-thin black legs held the device above the ground, which was a metallic looking egg with a yellow circle at the top. A small control panel that a mouse could have operated was attached on one side.

"A model EN-036, one of the biggest bombs Blue Rift has, it'll take out everything within a quarter mile." DJ raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall under the staircase, folding his arms.

"That's a bit overkill don't you think?"

"And risky," Winston added. "We have to give ourselves enough time to escape, which is enough time for the Thilan to disable the bomb altogether." The first soldier shrugged.

"Not our problem, our job was to get the bomb here, yours is to use it to blow up that factory. Later Guardians, hope you're happy, I missed dinner for this." The soldier was throwing the last words over his shoulder as he and his buddies closed the door, fleeing back towards Zina. Rose clenched her fists and growled in anger.

"That guy makes me so mad! I should go teach him a piece of my mind!" Rose began walking towards the door but White stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder, which ended up almost pulling him onto the floor.

"Relax, they're not important. Probably best if they weren't around anyway, idiots like them will only make this operation end in failure." Rose began taking deep breaths to calm herself down, her shoulders rising and falling and she tried to relax.

"So how do we want to play this?" DJ asked, switching to one of the walls perpendicular to the metal staircase so he could see Winston, taking on the same posture he had a moment ago.

"We can't attack during the evening hours, there are searchlights everywhere, and I'd be willing to bet security systems too." Winston shook his head. "I hate to say it but we're going to have to wait until morning to do anything."

"You do remember that this building isn't a save zone right?" White reminded him. Winston sighed.

"And we can't be up all night, it means we might have to do something risky."

"What if we asked Colonel Beals if we could hide somewhere for the night?" DJ scoffed, at Rose's idea quickly drawing the attention of the rest of the squad.

"If this place is anything like the real world, I think we all know it would take the whole night just to get that approved." Rose glared for a moment before relaxing.

"Yeah you're right, so we need to hit them tonight, at least it's only five-thirty, so it isn't that late."

"So when exactly do we want to try this?" DJ asked, sounding in complete disbelief that we were trying something that had a nearly zero percent chance of working.

"Eight thirty-six our time, so eleven thirty-six." White declared with a grin. DJ gave White a more obvious look of disbelief.

"What the hell? Eight thirty-six? How more random can you be?"

"That's kind of the point, who organizes an attack for that time?" White responded, barely able to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"And you guys call me crazy. Fine, but how do we get the bomb in there?"

"Your gonna carry it."

"WHAT?" DJ exclaimed in as loud of a voice as he dared make.

"Yeah it makes sense, you're the guy with the most muscle here, you should be able to carry it!" Rose skipped forward, poking DJ's shoulder.

"Unless you're not manly enough, in which case you'll never get the ladies." Steam started pouring out of DJ's nostrils.

"Not manly enough? I'll like ten of those bombs if I have to! Just tell me where to place 'em!" White smiled. _Thanks Rose, only you can push his buttons like that._ The plan was coming together; all they needed to do was wait.

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Keeper Holding Cells, Obroseon Grand Stadium_

_Time:__ Roughly 7:50pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_(30 minutes before Squad Keeper Arrives at Thilan Factory Zana)_

Black had quickly lost track of time, lost in _Rebellion Rising_. She found the story fascinating, a story about how a major civilization is torn apart when the slave population begins a violent revolution to gain social equality. The whole thing sent Black's head into a massive hurricane of thoughts and questions, why wouldn't the higher social order look for ways to remove slaves as a necessity? Why didn't the slaves try and negotiate freedom? Why should a society even NEED slavery?

The whole thing was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time, it had been the first time Black had ever picked up a book like this before, and she loved it. The feel of the pages, the eagerness of what would happen next, and if Eric, the man the story followed, would make the right decisions for his country in the end.

She also found that the deeper she got into the story, the more she could relate to it. Like her, Eric had watched his entire family die in front of him as he was made a slave by the country he was supposed to serve. _Will I have to start a war to free myself?_ Black wondered, staring at the black marks on the paper page.

When the door to her cell opened it caught her off guard, and she let the book fall to the floor from her lap as she instinctively reacher for her Rock Cannon, briefly surprised to not find it there before getting control of her instincts.

"My my, looks like I managed to surprise Black Rock Shooter, that's quite a feat." Black wanted to beat that smug off of Sy's face, her fist tightening in anger. Sy looked down at the book, which lay face up about fifty pages back from Black currently was. "I see you didn't waste any time, like it that much do you?"

"It's nothing special." Black replied coldly. "Just pages with fictional stories."

"Oh, then you won't mind if I take it back then?" Sy walked over and bent down to reach for the book, but Black caught his wrist before he could grab it. Sy smirked. "I thought so."

"Why are you here?"

"First to check up on you, see just how much that book had interested you, secondly to get you to follow me, I have a somewhat unpleasant surprise, and I promise I only just found out about this." Black knew it was a trap, some way to kill her. Her bad feeling only grew worse when an armed guard brought in her Rock Cannon and Black Blade. Black eyed her weapons, knowing that she should try and make a break for it the second she had them.

"Don't even think about it, there are still three armed Troopers outside, and we both know perfectly well that they won't hesitate to kill us to stop you. Save your energy for the arena." Black shot a glare at Sy.

"Who is there for me to fight? Did they create more Keepers without my knowledge, or am I the new target practice for the Guardians?" The lack of emotion in both Sy's voice and facial expression chilled Black, although she didn't show it.

"Neither. Now come on and follow me." Black took Black Blade, the weapon disappearing in her hands as soon as she had a tight grip on it, then she took Black Rock Cannon and clipped the backpack-like straps together and threw the weapon over her shoulder before adjusting the straps so they wouldn't go loose in a fight.

After her preparations were complete, Sy exited the cell and turned left, leading Black down a straight hallway to the same elevator she had been placed in the first time she was forced to enter the arena, however this time Sy followed her inside.

"There is one thing you should know as you enter that arena. No matter what you see with your eyes, everything that isn't you is your enemy. You must survive, am I making myself clear?" Black nodded while keeping her eyes forward. She didn't need the doctor to remind her of her number one rule. _I have to survive, for my family and my sister. I must find White's cannon._

"Good luck." Sy's last words as the elevator stopped and Black stepped out into the arena for the second time. The roar of the crowd immediately followed her entrance, the citizens of Obroseon clearly thrilled by her re-appearance in the arena to fight for her very life, but now Black didn't care about them. Her combat training kicked in, and the conflicting emotions and all thoughts about her book were pushed to the back of her mind in favor of one goal. Survival, the defeat of her opponent, victory at any cost. Black drew her cannon, ready for whatever stepped out of one of the elevators, but Black froze when she saw what came out of the elevator on the exact opposite end of the arena.

Dead Master.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN! AND THE DEAD HAVE COME BACK TO LIFE! (In case you missed that part.) Going to try and not be late two weeks from now, and sorry this one ended up being so short, I wanted to extend the chapter a little but wasn't feeling it. Actually almost cried writing Sofia/Rose's backstory! (Something must be wrong with me, I CRIED AT THE BACKSTORY I HAD TO COME UP WITH _) Hope you enjoyed the chapter and will leave a comment!**

**(I'll admit it, this chapter is mostly groundwork and a cliffhanger, you're welcome. If you have a question about the story, I'll make sure I answer.)**

**And to anyone here who's waiting for Chapter 13 of TSOK, yeah idk when that's getting done. Gonna start Book 2 with a small synopsis of what happened in Ch.13**

**SEE YOU ALL IN TWO WEEKS!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Procrastination and School. That's why I'm late. No excuses I'm late and I'm sorry. Thankfully I now have a better idea of where I'm going with the story thanks to the extra week.**

**With this being the fifth chapter I just wanna thank everyone who's followed the story so far and left a comment. You guys are awesome. Seriously. This isn't a fanfiction that was based on the BRS anime or game or anything else. Just figured that there's some new world surrounding BRS every time I find something new about her I figured I'd do the same. Recipe: Take BRS, world generation powers, and add a little crazy with a gamers background. Bam, BRSO.**

**So yeah, thanks for sticking with me guys, hope to keep getting better as I go along.**

**COMMENTS ON CHAPETR 4**

**Crimson Homura: ****Sorry, I forgot that making sarcastic jokes on the internet is hard. But this isn't going to end quite how you think.**

**ArisatoKirin:**** Hopefully the detail here doesn't disappoint! Thanks for the support! : )**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Breakout**

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Obroseon Grand Stadium_

_Time:__ Roughly 8:00pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_(20 minutes before Squad Keeper arrives at Thilan Factory Zina.)_

Black couldn't believe what she was seeing, the very last Keeper that had fallen dead in the arena the night before was now standing in front of her. Dead Master looked perfectly fine, like the last second shot through her body hadn't happened. She looked like her normal self, the dark green dress, the dark wings on her lower back, glasses, two vertebrae-like curved horns on her head, and strange looking weapon called Dead Scythe.

But one thing stood out, instead of the neon green eyes she normally had, she had glowing red eyes. It only meant one thing, Dead had been revived to be placed under the control of whoever had taken over the Keepers the night before. Right now, Dead was not a friend, but an enemy. Once Black came to this conclusion, she pushed her questions aside and took the first shot, quickly bringing her rock cannon up and firing a small burst of projectiles aimed directly at Dead's chest.

With more than enough time to react, Dead simply jumped to one side and the rocks flew harmlessly flew by and exploded against the stadium wall. Dead pulled out her Scythe mid-jump as well as summoned her two skulls. Two large green circles appeared in the air, and out of each a massive green skulls flew out of each of the circles flying right towards Black at an astonishing speed.

Black managed to fire three shots at one of the skulls before having to roll to her left and dodge the skulls. It was one of Dead's abilities given to her when she was created, the ability to generate massive skull minions that could slam opponents with enough force to knock them out or even kill them. Black knew that Dead could only summon two skulls in any given fight, and if she had an opening it would be easy to gun them down, if the chains Dead had hidden in her dress didn't find her in the process.

Black was forced to split her focus between the two skulls, which were now behind her, and Dead whose unwavering gaze was fixated on Black's next move. Unwilling to sit around when Dead was in a favorable position, Black charged her opponent, returning her rock cannon to the harness as drawing her katana from what seemed to be thin air. Dead swung her scythe horizontally, forcing Black to stop and parry the blow. Dead continued her offensive attack, forcing Black to defend herself, waiting patiently for an opening in the other Keepers relentless stream of attacks.

Without any kind of warning, Dead jumped backward. Before Black had a chance to figure out why she suddenly stopped her attack, something slammed into her hard from the side. Sent flying, Black crashed into the ground and rolled a good ten feet before skidding to a stop. The pain in Blacks left right side registered in her brain for a moment before she pushed it aside. Black guessed that she probably had a broken rib or two, nothing in her mind that was serious enough to change her strategy.

Black picked herself off the ground using her cannon as a crutch, looking up to scan the field for Dead only to find herself leaping back intensively when she saw the scythe-wielding Keeper slashing horizontally at Black's head. Dead wasted no time after her failed kill attempt, clearly expecting Black to survive it, and jumped after her.

Black wasn't going to be drawn into the same trap twice. The second Black landed she jumped to her left, then right, making sure her movements were constant yet unpredictable in an attempt to keep as much distance between her and Dead as possible. While jumping around playing keep-away with Dead, she began to shoot at the skulls that were once again flying just under the roof of the stadium. Without the additional help from the familiars, Black could easily take on the scythe wielder alone.

Yet Dead wasn't going to have her assistants be killed so easily, and soon Black had to deal with the two flying skulls that began to dash around the field in random patterns. They became impossible to shoot, zipping around faster than Black was able to track. Within moments Black was now jumping both to avoid getting locked in a close combat battle with Dead and avoiding the skulls that were flying around like massive projectiles. The whole thing took up so much of Blacks focus that she couldn't find the time to shoot.

_I'm not going to win like this._ Black thought with her frustration increasing. It was one of Blacks bad habits and a symptom of her brain wanting to run on emotion in high pressure situations. Whenever a fight or a puzzle was causing Black problems, she would grow increasingly frustrated, often doing something reckless and stupid that got her in trouble with her instructors or even injured. "Black and Blue Rock Shooter" was a common joke by the scientists.

This time though, Black wasn't concerned with the consequences of losing her temper. If whatever rash decision she made worked and she survived this match who was going to complain?

Black hit a button below the trigger in her rock cannon. A blue glow could be seen from the barrel as a charge built up within the weapon. Jumping in the path of one of the skulls, Black fired her charged shot and watched as the creature exploded before skidding to a halt on the ground.

There wasn't enough time for Black to realize that she had made a critical error before she was knocked to the ground in an instant, her nose breaking from the impact and blood running like a river down her face. With a surge of anger and adrenaline, Black looked up and took aim at the remaining skull that had managed to hit her. Taking only a second to aim from her position on the ground, she fired another charged up shot that impacted her assailant as it tried to fly upwards toward a safe altitude.

Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, Black's left eye erupted in blue fire and she rolled over, shooting directly above her, and Dead's head exploded. But the victory was short lived, and without any warning, Black felt the blade of Dead Scythe impale her head, and the world fell into darkness.

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Coopers Inn, Suburbs of Obroseon_

_Time:__ 8:16pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_(Four minutes before Squad Keeper arrives at Thilan Factory Zina)_

Yeman had watched in shock as he saw who Black's opponent was. Having been in the booths above the stands in the Keeper's opening night, he had watched everyone but Black die in the arena. But there she was, Dead Master, once again alive, healthy, and still under whatever mind control spell they were under. He was now sure of two things, one, this was definitely some kind of experiment. Two, Eastil had somehow completed the technique of resurrection that he had been working on for the Keepers and later the Guardians for some time. This realization was also the reason why Yeman didn't panic when both Black and Dead died in the final moments of the match, because they would both be healed and as good as new in no time. The former councilor would be breathing a sigh of relief if it wasn't for what happened earlier that day.

Apparently Justin hadn't been as trustworthy as he had thought, that or whatever faction was organizing this had gotten to him, because Yeman had been accused of plotting against the council to get certain members removed on false accusations. While it had been partially true, the whole thing was ironic to him. He was the one removed by a false accusation, which was about plotting to false accusations himself once he knew who was involved.

Of course Yeman wasn't going to give up so easily. In fact he was glad for his removal, it meant that there were fewer strings attached to him. It made it easier to do something so drastic that probably would get him executed if it didn't work out.

"Yo Yeman, I've figured out where they keep those Keepers." Yeman got up from the couch he was sitting on and walked over to the table behind it, where a young man with dark skin sat in front of a laptop. The most wanted hacker in Blue Rift breaking into the security of the Obroseon system to figure out how they could liberate Black.

"What have you got for me Pike?" Yeman asked with calm anticipation.

"Well old friend it's just as we suspected, their keeping Black and the other Keepers deep underground directly below the stadium. Only two ways to get in, the first is through the elevators in the stadium itself which are only used when Keepers are entering and leaving the arena."

"Well we both know that isn't an option." Yeman grunted.

"True, which is why I took the liberty of locating the second entrance for you. It's in the alleyway behind the Guardian House across the street from the tower." Yeman patted Pike on the shoulder.

"Nice, so all we need to do is get in there and get Black out. Good work Pike, thanks for doing this for me." But Yeman's moment of victory was cut short when his friend sighed.

"It's not gonna be that simple Yeman, you should know that by now or you wouldn't need me. I also found what security this place has, and you're going to need a specialized team to get in there. Security lasers, a special forces defense team, drones, and not to mention the other Keepers that they have under their control. This looks more like a suicide mission to me." Pike turned around in his seat to look Yeman in the eye. "I don't think you can pull this one off man. Not on your own." Yeman crossed his arms and sighed. Even if he didn't want to admit it, Pike was right. They needed some muscle to get them in and out quickly, and thankfully he knew of someone that might help them. Yeman turned around and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Pike asked in confusion.

"To get the muscle and skill we need to get past the guards and Keepers. You work on a way to shut down the automated defenses. I want to get this done tonight." As Yeman closed the door he could hear Pike muttering about doing the impossible, but the older man knew that the hacker would get it done.

Yeman left the Inn and called up a taxi using a kiosk by the front desk. As he stood outside waiting he could see the spotlights from the stadium, where he knew tonight's Keeper battles were still in full swing. Yeman let out a long sigh. It was one thing to be plotting to break into what was probably the most well guarded facility on Blue Rift, but it was another to plan and execute it in less than six hours. He had never exactly been a patient man to wait for the perfect moment. In Yemans eyes, the sooner something got done, the better.

A green vehicle that hovered over the ground pulled up next to the curb and the drivers side window lowered to reveal a middle aged man in a black T-shirt and cap.

"You Mr. Yeman Aland?" Yeman nodded and got in the backseat. "Where to buddy?" The man's voice was somewhat raspy, like he hadn't had a glass of water in a few days. But that was common with Obroseon taxi drivers, most weren't in the best health or economic class. Often enough they could be connected to some kind of illegal drug, not that anyone paid any attention with the war against the Thilan Empire in the forefront of everyone's minds.

"Keepsake Weapons on Macfer street." The taxi did a quick one-eighty and sped off.

Yeman wondered if Black even _wanted_ to be rescued. Considering the intensity of the Keeper's training, he doubted she would trust anyone let alone a former councilor. In fact, this whole rescue operation could go south because Black ends up killing every single one of them. There was just so much about Black that Yeman had wanted to know but hadn't been able to find out. Getting close enough for an interview with even the instructors had been deemed too risky, the council didn't want anything interfering with the training of their greatest weapon. _More like their greatest test subject. They didn't even hesitate to turn the Keepers into test subjects when Project Guardian was introduced._

Then of course there was the question of how the Guardian in the stands had the White Rock Cannon, which had drawn Blacks attention in the first Keeper match. Yeman was one of the few people who felt like they understood the true importance of that cannon to Black, and the understandable outrage of it falling into the hands what could only be seen as White's replacement.

Of course that could be reason enough for Black to want to escape, to hunt down that Guardian and find out what he was doing with her sisters cannon. The only problem with using that as a motivator was what Black would do to the Guardian afterward…

The taxi slowed to a stop and Yeman looked out the window to find the entrance to Keepsake Weapons with massive metal shutters lowered, signaling that they were closed for the night. After Yeman paid the driver and thanked the man he got out. The taxi sped off as Yeman walked up to the shutters, looking them over for a moment before banging loudly.

"Riho Kuse, Ms. Kuse are you there?" Yeman waited a few brief moments before slamming the shutter a few more times. Afterward he began to pace back and forth along the length of the shop, waiting for the shutter to open and the former general to answer. Eventually after what felt like an hour, there was the sound of a metal pulley opening and Yeman turned around to find the famous weapon smith and even more infamous war general Riho Kuse, leaning against the outside wall of the store with folded arms.

"Well well, if it isn't Councilor Yeman, you better have a damned good reason for making all this noise after hours. And by the way, it's still General Kuse, not Ms. Kuse. Just because the Kheawuton government haven't given me any orders in seventeen years doesn't mean you have the right to be disrespectful."

"Glad to see you're still as cheerful as ever Riho." Yeman replied with a hint of amusement. Riho looked anything but amused.

"What do you want?" Her tone was flat and her stare accusing.

"I need a favor." Yeman sighed, almost regretting that he was being forced to ask without a better diplomatic speech prepared. Riho raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"What? No diplomatic speech? No first talking about how important this will be to society if we pull it off and that we can't do it without you?" Yeman shook his head. Riho pushed off the wall and took a step forward. "Then what is it?"

"I need your help to break Black out of that prison she's being kept in." Riho snorted in amusement.

"And what makes you think I'm going to help you? When I agreed to make weapons for your little Keeper project I wasn't expecting to watch them be used against each other when their replacements stole the front lines from them."

"That wasn't my decision and you know it." Yeman replied coldly.

"Of course not, it was the _council's_ decision." Riho replied in mock belief. "Now do you expect me to believe that the council let the Thilan break into whatever facility you're keeping those kids in and take them away so you couldn't use them for whatever science experiment you're running right after you replace them? Like hell I'm helping you, better that the Thilan put them out of their misery." Riho walked past Yeman, headed straight for the entrance to the backside of the store.

"I'm not a councilor anymore Riho." Yeman admitted. Riho stopped and spun around sharply.

"What?"

Yeman turned around and looked Riho in the eye. "I'm not a councilor anymore. I was released because I was trying to figure out who in the council is using the Keepers."

Riho's eyes narrowed. "You'd better not be shitting me Yeman." The man gave an exaggerated shrug with raised eyebrows.

"Does it look like I'm wearing a councilor's uniform? I got removed because I was trying to find out what councilors were connected to whatever is going on with the Keepers!" Riho stared at Yeman for a few moments, and the former councilor felt a drop of sweat trickle down the back of his neck. Eventually, Riho relaxed her shoulders slightly.

"All right, let's say for a minute I believe you. Why are we just rescuing Black and not every single Keeper?"

"Black's the only one not affected by whatever type of brainwashing that is being used to turn the Keepers against each other, making her the only one safe to rescue without being killed immediately afterward." Yeman answered calmly.

"How do you know Black isn't affected?" Riho pressed, clearly intending to test if Yeman had put with plan together with a clear head and wasn't just being stupid.

"The most notable sign of this mind control are the glowing red eyes. Black retained her bright blue eyes, and I have confirmed that the signal which allows this control wasn't being received by Black at any point. She _is_ herself, I'm sure of it."

"Black died in the arena today." Riho pointed out. "What if they managed to get her brainwashed this time and this whole thing ends up being one giant mistake?" Yeman paused. He had been so focused on planning the rescue he hadn't given the possibility any thought.

"I'm willing to take the chance." Yeman finally answered. Riho raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to one side.

"Alright one last question, what's the plan after you manage to break Black out of there?"

"Keep her out of the hands of the council until I figure out how to break the mind control on the other Keepers, once that's done I free them too. Riho you _know_ what the council did to the Keepers was something neither of us approve of, and they're just going to continue to be lab rats until someone does something about it!" For what felt like a week Yeman felt Riho staring into him, and he knew that she was debating whether to help him or not. The whole time Yeman was nervous, he _needed_ Riho to pull this off. Without her, he didn't have a chance in Thilan of getting Black out of the facility. Eventually, Riho let out a deep sigh.

"Yeman you are going to be the death of me." Riho slapped her palm against the counter in front of her. "But why should I care about this? You talk about how neither of us like it, but I'm not going to throw my life away when I still have to look out for Oris. And don't give me the whole 'it's the right thing to do' routine. We both know I don't give a damn."

"I still have one last paycheck coming in, with the bonus for looking over the Keeper Project." Yeman offered. Riho pushed off the counter with a snort.

"What am I, a mercenary? Yeman I don't care about money, trust me when I say the salary of the council is a joke." From the way Riho said that Yeman guessed there was a deeper meaning behind those words, but now wasn't the time to press for those answers.

"Alright, then what do you want?" Yeman asked with a note of frustration. "Name it and I'll see what I can do."

Riho leaned up against the wall and tapped her fingers against her arm. "Just name it huh? That's quite the generous offer Yeman. Very well, how about more of that metal I used to forge the Keepers their weapons. In whatever amount you possess." Yeman almost groaned out loud. _Of all things, it had to be that._ Yeman had been hoping to sell what he had left of the metal to find a place to live, but that was now out of the question. His mission to free the Keepers and figure out who was behind the whole thing was more important to him than finding an apartment in the outer districts, which left Yeman only one option.

"Alright Riho, you've got yourself a deal. Once Black is free I'll give you every ounce of Keytonium I have."

Keytonium, a recent discovery in the Zintis mines that proved to be the rarest and most valuable metal on Blue Rift. Not only was Keytonium the strongest substance ever discovered, but it was a brilliant metal for making energy based weapons out of, increasing the power of any weapon made with enough Keytonium. The Thilan had started using it seventeen years ago, when Project Keeper first started, and for seventeen years the armies of Blue Rift haven't won a battle because of the overwhelming difference the substance makes in combat.

What makes matters worse is the fact that the Zintis mines don't extract a lot of Keytonium. Prices for the metal are at an all time high, making it hard for smiths to get their hands on it and harder for the new Guardians to purchase. As far as Yeman knew, only about a hundred weapons could be made out of Keytonium for the Guardians initially.

Riho grinned at Yeman's offer and stepped out to the other side of the counter before leaning on it. "Well all right then, so what's your big plan?" Internally, Yeman let out both a sigh of relief and frustration before explaining.

"We know where Black is being held, and we know what were up against. I have a specialist who can turn off all the automated defenses, we just need to get past the guards and the brainwashed Keepers."

Riho raised an eyebrow "You expect to get past Keepers and survive? I think we both know conventional weapons won't do shit. From what you told me projectile weapons won't get past their clothing and standard energy weapons will only amuse them."

Yeman didn't even blink, he was holding an ace. "The word on the street is you've made another rock cannon with the last of the Keytonium I gave you when the first Keeper weapons were made. No one bothered to confirm it since the substance became legal shortly after so other weapon smiths could start preparing for the Guardians." Riho went from somewhat pleased to annoyed again when Yeman mentioned the rumor, but after another few moments of silence she gave in.

"Alright yes, I made another weapon using the last of the Keytonium have me, but it's nothing as glamorous as a rock cannon. I guess you could say more of a rock pistol." Riho took out the said pistol from her back pocket, the barrel looking like a standard rock cannon but everything else looking like a standard military energy pistol, almost like it was a hybrid weapon.

"Not exactly the prettiest weapon I've seen." Yeman observed. Riho turned the weapon over in her hands a few times.

"Unlike my customers, I don't care about looks, although you're right that most of my clients would say this thing looks like a piece of shit. I could have made it more pretty, but that won't make it fire any better. It'll kill a Guardian in one shot if I put the bolt in the right place." Riho looked Yeman in the eyes. "I can get you past the Keepers, assuming we're in and out quickly and the automated security systems are disabled. This plan is still a suicide mission, but one that's worth the price." Riho pushed off of the counter and walked to a small silver control panel on the wall on the other side of the shop.

"Thank you Riho, this means a lot to me." Riho typed in a command on the panel and the metal shutters began to lower.

"Save it, remember I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for the Keytonium." Riho replied pulling a cigarette and a lighter out of her pocket. "I'm assuming you took a taxi to get here?" When Yeman nodded, Riho motioned for the man to follow her. Leading Yeman around the corner to the mostly empty alley that ran through the middle of the block, Yeman's jaw dropped when he saw what was about halfway down the alley.

"Riho, why do you have an Express Boltway hidden back here? That's the most expensive car on the market!"

"What of it?" Riho replied, unimpressed by Yeman's shock. Yeman himself was scrambling to find the words he was looking for. That car was worth four times more than what he made during his years as a politician.

"It's just… Where did you find that kind of money? Military benefits wouldn't come close, and there's no way you get enough traffic in the shop!" Out of the corner of his eye, Yeman saw Riho smirk.

"Let's just say that the top gangs on Blue Rift know better than to anger their favorite weapons smith and dealer." Yeman felt stunned. Never in his wildest dreams would he have guessed that Riho was the weapons queen of the criminal world. Without another word Yeman stepped into the passenger side of the vehicle, the automatic door granting him access with a touch of a button on the keys that Riho possessed. Yeman have her the address of the Inn before the vehicle lifted itself off the ground.

"So how many other poor souls did you bribe into helping you with this little crusade? You mentioned that you already had a hacker, anyone I know?" Riho asked as the hovercar sped out of the alley, heading for the suburbs.

"Ever heard of a young man named Pike Harris?" Yeman asked.

"I've heard the name. Supposedly he's the most talented hacker on Blue Rift, wanted by every law enforcement organization and military branch out there." Riho glanced sideways at Yeman. "I've also heard that he's one tough son of a bitch to track down. Even the gangs can't get to him when they need him. How in Thilan did you a hold of him so quickly?

"He's an old friend of mine from college, just before he turned into the famous underground hacker he is today." Yeman explained.

"Alright so you have yourself a good hacker, who else you got?"

"There isn't anyone else; it's just you, me, and Pike."

Riho let out a deep sigh. "You want to raid a top secret facility with three people, only one of which has a gun that will make any difference?"

"You know of anyone else that has Keytonium that would help us?" Yeman countered.

"Well you got me there." Riho admitted. "If the security systems are disabled we might be able to get Black and get out before we're caught."

"That's what I'm counting on."

[After another fifteen minutes of driving the pair arrived at Coopers Inn, and much to Yeman surprise Riho parked her Boltway out in the open. Riho didn't seem too worried about it when Yeman pressed for answers, even calling him a kid despite the fact that he was twenty eight.()]

"Talk about one cheap dump." Riho observed when she walked into the apartment.

"Yes but it's out of the way and just right in cost, making it perfect." Pike replied without looking up from his screen as Yeman slipped through the door behind Riho.

"You must be Pike, Yeman's hacker."

"And you must be General Riho Kuse, the infamous general who ran away from Fort Zina after only five minutes of fighting. Labeled the biggest coward on Blue Rift and informally retired." Yeman glanced carefully at Riho, and he found that she looked ready to shoot him then and there. Turning around in his chair, Pike caught Riho's anger as well and laughed. "Relax General Kuse, we both know you made the smart decision that day. More lives would have been lost to those Keytonium weapons if you hadn't, sorry about messing with you, I do that to everyone so I can figure them out faster."

Yeman let out a sigh of relief. Pike had done the same thing to him when they had first met, although it had left him more embarrassed than angry at the time. _Old habits die hard I guess._ Thankfully, Riho seemed to be calming down, letting out deep breaths.

"Well now that introductions are out of the way, I assume you've managed to finish hacking their defenses?" Yeman glanced at Pike, who grinned and handed both him and Riho a blank white card about as thick as his old ID card.

"The automated defenses will recognize these cards when they scan you, so as long as you don't start shooting the second you walk in the door you should be able to navigate through the base without a problem."

"What about after they realize Black is loose?" Riho asked, a hint of anger and frustration still in her voice from Pike's earlier round of comments. "They're not going to let us get by those automated defenses the same way twice."

"Not to worry." Pike assured. "I've got a way to shut the entire system down manually from here. So once you have Black just let me know and I'll flip the switch."

"Why not just turn off all the automated defenses right away? Wouldn't it have been easier?" Yeman asked. Pike shrugged.

"Sure, had you given a week to turn off _just_ the defense towers and create loops in the security cameras. With only seven hours, this is all I could manage."

Yeman sighed. "Alright well it'll have to do, thanks Pike, I'll let you know when we're ready to go." Yeman turned towards the door, pulling it open and about to walk out when Riho's voice stopped him.

"Wait we're going right now?" Riho asked in surprise.

"I see no reason to wait." Yeman responded like sitting around doing more planning was a stupid idea.

"Shouldn't we figure out when the best time is so we don't get caught, or how long it takes to revive a Keeper after they're killed? Details are important Yeman, walking in right now could be suicidal." Yeman didn't want to, but he had to admit to himself that Riho had some good points. Walking into a situation as blind as they were to some of the minor (yet just as important) details could be fatal. But simply put, Yeman didn't care.

"I've watched these fights Riho, and the longer we wait the more fights the Keepers have to go through, and who knows what that's doing to them. Hell the revival system may not even be safe! Yes there are gaps in the details but I'm willing to take the risk."

"This isn't smart Yeman." Riho warned darkly.

"What happens if we wait to gather those details and we find out that the Keepers are dead because there's a problem with the revival system? This whole thing will e for nothing!" Yeman pointed out bluntly.

"Yeah, the work of seven hours. Congrats that's a real waste of time." Pike muttered. Yeman whipped his gaze at the hacker.

"I'm not talking about just us! As much as we want to think of these kids as expendable their still human beings, and ones I watched grow up!" Yeman turned to Riho. "What would you do if Oris was about to die, yet you knew how to save him? I doubt you would sit on your ass and wait for 'details' when there wasn't time!"

Riho walked up and placed a hand on Yeman's shoulder. "Listen here kid, I get what you're saying and you're right. No way in hell I'd sit on my ass, but I wouldn't throw my life away either. That just get's everyone killed. Yes there is a risk in waiting, but there is a bigger risk in rushing into it. Take a deep breath and think about it for a minute." He did as Riho asked, attempting to clear his mind with deep breaths and think about the situation from her point of view. The more he thought about it, Yeman realized the General was right.

"At the same time Yeman's got a point though." Pike sighed, like he was regretting what he was saying. Riho turned her gaze to him.

"What are you talking about?" Riho asked with an annoyed tone. "What haven't you told us?" Pike raised his hands in defense.

"I didn't think it was important since you guys were about to go anyway, but Yeman was right about one thing. I managed to access the file Eastil kept on the revival system, and although it will work, there isn't a guarantee than repeated use won't cause lethal brain damage. Any one of these revival's could be their last, and from what I understand Eastil's regarding it as a waste of time to look into making the system safer."

An alarm started sounding from the laptop, causing Pike to jump briefly before turning around to pound commands onto the keyboard. A document popped up onto the screen. Within moments Pike was shaking his head.

"What is it Pike?" Yeman asked, worried. "Don't tell me they figured you out." Pike shook his head in a 'no.'

"They haven't found me, but you're going to want to look at this report Yeman." The former councilor kneeled down behind Pike with a bent over Riho to his left. "According to this latest report from Eastil, Black almost suffered critical brain injury during her revival. He says she won't be able to survive another revival." Yeman froze. Black had one of the first matches tomorrow, there wasn't time to collect any data.

Riho turned her head to Yeman. "So, we gonna do this?" Yeman nodded.

"Yeah, looks like we don't have time to sit around after all."

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Keeper Holding Cells, Obroseon Grand Stadium._

_Time:__ Roughly 9:24pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_(Two Hours Twelve Minutes Until Squad Keeper Attacks Thilan Factory Zana)_

Black awoke to a splitting headache. Before she could get a hold of her emotions and block out the pain her hands were on her head and she moaned in pain. _Why does my head hurt so much? I don't understand, when did I get hit…_ and then she remembered what happened in the arena. Dead Master, the scythe piercing her head. Black regained control of herself and slowly positioned herself so she was lying flat on her back.

It didn't make any sense, Black knew she should be dead. She and Dead Master had killed each other at the last second, the scythe had probably gone deep into her head. Then Black recalled that this wasn't the first time Dead had died. _I'd heard rumors that the scientists were working on a way to revive someone, it looks like they figured it out._

With some minor pulses of pain still pounding through Black's mental barrier, she decided that sleep would probably be her best option. There was no way she could win a fight in her current condition. But as Black closed her eyes and let the veil of sleep wash over her, the door opened and Black sat up sharply. The movement sent a sharp pain through her head, and Black's hand immediately went over one eye in an instinctive reaction. Out of the other eye however, she could see Sy closing the door.

"I see you're awake." Black didn't reply, it was taking nearly all of her focus to control the pounding in her head. Sy sighed. "Alright enough with the emotionless tough girl Black, it's already a miracle you're even conscious right now. Lay down, you're going to need your rest." Black reluctantly did as Sy asked, even though that was what Black was planning on doing anyway.

"Why… are you here?" Black grunted after she returned to lying face up on the bed.

"To check on you first of all, you have no idea how close you came to dying." Black tilted her neutral gaze to Sy, his face was full of concern unlike the last time he came to her cell with his calm, cool, and collected attitude.

"Dead Scythe impaled my brain, I should be dead anyway." Black replied, gaining a little more control.

"True, but that's not what I'm talking about." Sy paused briefly before continuing. "The revival system that Head of Research Professor Eastil developed isn't exactly what you would call 'safe.'"

"What do you mean?" Black asked dully.

"I mean that the process could cause serious if not lethal brain damage to the subject. Every Keeper has been resistant to the side effects so far, except one." Black knew what Sy was trying to say, it didn't take a doctor or a scientist.

"So I have some brain damage." Black guessed.

Sy shook his head. "Thankfully no, it was close but you came out intact this time. However I had one of the scientists one the numbers for me. If you die even one more time, you're guaranteed to have brain damage the next time you come out of that thing." Black said nothing, but was happy to hear that there was no internal damage to her, but it also meant that she couldn't lose from here on out. There was no other option, now it really was win or die.

"Is that the only thing you had to say?" Black asked.

"No, just to tell you that I've found another book I think you might like." Sy placed a book on the edge of the bed. Without sitting up Black picked up the book and held it in front of her face. It was titled 'escape.' "I know you're not done with the first book I gave you, but I seriously recommend you read that as soon as possible." There was something off about the way Sy said his last sentence, it was fairly subtle but Black could tell that it was there.

"Very well, I'll read it as soon as I can." Black assured. She heard the door to the room open and close, signaling that Sy had left the room. After a few minutes of laying around and waiting for the pain in her head to subside a little, Black opened the cover of the book to find a hand-written note on the inside cover.

_You're getting out of here tonight, at 9:40 the guards will be changing shifts. At that time I will place your rock cannon and black katana inside your cell. Use them to break out of your cell, don't worry about the shield I'll take care of that, and follow these directions. Right, straight, right, left, right. After the third right you should find that the hallway begins to lead upward to a door. Once you get past that door you're free. I understand you know about the Guardian who has obtained your sisters cannon, he is in Kheawuton breaking into a weapons factory with the code name Zana. Good luck Black. –Your friend The Book Keeper._

Black knew it was from Sy. He was the only person in the facility who cared about Black at all. Even if he was using a code name in the signature with this note he wouldn't be safe, but that wasn't her concern. One of her first lessons as a child was to estimate the time internally, and if she was right, there were only twelve minutes before her cannon would be given to her and she could break out.

There was no question she could do it, Black had been the first fight of the night based on how clean the arena had been when she fought Dead, meaning that there was only one other Keeper who could be up and walking around. Dead was good in an open field with her skulls, but in the narrow corridors of the science facility, Black would have the upper hand. All she needed to do was rest and gather as much strength as she could. It was hard to feel the rush of anticipation that was trying to work its way into her head. After all she was about to go find the Guardian who was unrightfully using White's cannon._ Patience, control your emotions. _

Black knew she shouldn't let the whole thing with White's cannon bother her, but it was a question of honor. The Guardians had taken the job of the Keepers, they had _replaced _them and forced them to be nothing more than playthings of the council. In Black's mind, they had no right to wield their weapons, and soon she would show them why.

Twelve minutes later Black heard a loud clanging sound as her weapons were tossed onto the floor. By this time Black's headache his dissipated and she felt good enough to move at combat speed. Black quickly jumped off of the bed and grabbed Black Blade, hitting a small button on the hilt, causing it to disappear into an alternate dimension for her to call upon later. Afterward she slid her cannon onto her left arm, and allowing her left eye to ignite, she pointed it at the cell bars. _I've overstayed my welcome._

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Outside Keeper Research Facility, Obroseon_

_Time:__ Roughly 9:41pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_(One Hour Fifty-seven Minutes Until Squad Keeper Attacks Thilan Factory Zana)_

In all honesty there was no real reason for Yeman to tag along with Riho on this rescue mission. He had no Keytonium weapon, no combat experience, and hadn't had any personal experience with Black in the past. In fact it probably made more sense for him to remain behind so he wasn't killed during their escape. Riho hadn't argued when Yeman said he wanted to come along, which he was thankful for. Yeman just wanted Black to know who was helping her up front so there were no secrets, and maybe to convince her to stay with Yeman after the whole thing was over so he could keep an eye on her. No way was the council going to let Black disappear on them.

Riho parked the car in a nearby alley, figuring that once the three of them were out of the facility the guards would stop chasing so they didn't make a public scene. It made sense, the idea that the Keepers were being brainwashed was completely unknown to the public. Yeman guessed it wouldn't be long before people would want to know the history of the Keepers, and that they would be fed lies as to their current situation. But with the Keepers brainwashed, it was the perfect crime, at least until someone goes missing.

Before Yeman knew it the pair of them were standing outside the entrance to the facility. A large metal door blocked the entrance, the only way in was to put in the correct code on the panel to the right of the door. Unless of course, you had the best hacker on Blue Rift ready to break it open for you.

Yeman sent a message to Pike's communicator. _I've got the popcorn, do you want any drinks?_ It was the code they had agreed on for Pike to open the door. After a few moments there was a buzzing sound from the panel and the metal door slowly opened inward, revealing a well-lit passageway that led underground towards the stadium. Riho took out her pistol.

"Alright, stay behind me and don't make a sound, got it?" Riho had barely started working her way down the tunnel when alarms started blaring, they were faint, but you could hear them all the way at the entrance. "What the hell, I thought Pike said those ID's would work!" Riho turned around. "We need to get out of here Yeman, clearly their security system is better than we thought." Before Yeman could agree, he got a call on his communication pad. He answered the call using the speaker on the communicator.

"What's going on Pike, we didn't get two steps in the facility before they found us!" Yeman reported in a very frustrated tone.

"You two didn't trip the alarm, someone else did!" Pike answered, sounding like he was in a rush.

"Who tripped the alarm?" Riho asked while keeping her eyes on the tunnel.

"Your girl Black did." Pike answered with certainty. "Somehow she blew open the door to her cell and got loose. The whole base is on full alert and trying to hunt her down."

"Can you track her?" Yeman asked quickly.

"If I hack into the security cameras sure, but that means that the security systems are still online." Pike pointed out.

"Turn of the security systems." Yeman ordered. They'll be looking for Black at this point, not us. We'll find her without the cameras."

There was a pause for a moment before the alarms suddenly stopped and Pike's voice returned. "Alright the security systems are disabled, but you two probably have about fifteen minutes before they figure out how to turn them back on again."

Riho gestured towards the tunnel with her head, clearly suggesting that they start moving as soon as possible.

"Alright thanks Pike, we'll let you know how it goes." Yeman ended the call and stowed the communicator back in his pocket before following Riho down the tunnel.

The interior of the tunnel itself wasn't that impressive, smooth concrete walls and ramp led downward farther into the floating continent with the occasional dim light bulb sitting on top of a gray stand every two feet along a solid blue line. The tunnel led straight with no turns, although the decent got very steep every so often. _Not a lot of cover. _Yeman noted. _If we get found out here we're as good as dead._

After another minute of walking they came to across two things, a ladder leading downward, and the sound of gunfire. Riho placed a hand in front of Yeman, stopping him a good seven-eight feet away. Slowly, Riho approached the edge of the upper level, right up to the ladder and peered over. Within moments she fired three shots, and silence fell over the tunnel. Yeman tried to walk forward but Riho signaled for him to remain where he was.

"I know you're there Black, those soldiers weren't shooting at air." Riho called out, her voice echoing in the tunnel. There was at least a good thirty second of silence before a reply echoed back.

"Who are you?" The voice sounded like a mature young lady, who was dead set on killing anyone in her path. _Sounds like Black all right._

"General Riho Kuse, the weapon smith who forged your rock cannon, with me is former councilor Yeman Aland, who was removed from his position because he tried to stop what happened to the Keepers." Riho answered.

"I hope you don't plan on standing in my way." Black warned.

Riho let out an amused snort. "I wouldn't dream of it after seeing what you can do. In fact we were coming here to break you out before you did it yourself."

"How do I know you weren't sent to recapture me?" Black asked in a more monotone voice.

"A fair question, but I can't give any guarantee's that you'd believe right now. But what I can say for sure is that taking a risk with us is better than staying here and having a one-hundred percent chance of getting captured." Riho's reasoning seemed to get through to Black, who returned he cannon to the harness and climbed the ladder.

Yeman realized that he was seeing Black up close for the first time, and he had to admit, other than the cannon on her back, and the dead serious look on her face, she looked like she could be an ordinary teenage girl attending an Obroseon college.

"Yeman Aland." Yeman extended his hand, and after a moment's hesitation, Black shook it. "Come on, let's get you out of here. Everything else is second." Riho took the lead as the three of them went back up through the tunnel. _This is almost too easy. First Black get's free and then we don't see so much as a glance from the other Keepers, something's wrong._ Clearly Yeman wasn't alone in his suspicion, as Riho kept her pistol and eyes forward, focused on any potential targets that might try to block their escape. Yeman kept watch on their rear in case any of the facilities soldier managed to follow them, but everything seemed quiet.

"The exit's up ahead. Get ready everyone, they might try to stop Black one last time before we're gone." Black pulled out her cannon again, and Yeman prepared to duck back into the tunnel in case they were shot at as soon as the outside came into view. However what they found wasn't a small army of soldiers, but another teenage girl with glowing red eyes standing outside the metal door with her scythe out. It was Dead Master. Black's eyes narrowed.

"She must have gone out through the stadium and worked her way here." Yeman realized.

"Looks that way." Riho grunted in agreement. "Not only that but we're stuck. We try to get out through that door and we get slashed, we stay here and we're as good as dead. This is bad."

"Leave it to me." Black said before immediately dashing forward, firing a spray of flaming rocks towards Dead, who was forced to back up before she could start deflecting them. Black continued forward until she burst out of the facility, somersaulting over Dead's head and landing behind her with cannon raised, firing another spray of rocks. This time, instead of deflecting the flaming projectiles, she jumped to one side, causing them to impact just to the left of the door, creating a number of small explosions that tore holes in the wall of the Guardian tower.

"Let's move Yeman!" Riho hissed before charging straight for the door. After a brief moment of shock he followed behind the former general roughly ten steps behind. As soon as Riho was out of the tunnel she began shooting to her left, the same direction that Dead had jumped a moment earlier.

Yeman stayed just inside the tunnel, peering around the corner to watch exactly what was happening. The alleyway wasn't exactly wide, meaning Black and Dead didn't have a lot of space to move left or right, this combined with Black's unrelenting assault with Riho behind her kept Dead on the defensive, using dumpsters and old cars as temporary cover when she couldn't slice or deflect every flaming rock headed for her. _Where are Dead's skulls? Have they not regenerated just yet?_

Turns out that spark of hope lasted no longer than a second. Hearing a loud groaning-like sound, Yeman looked up to find one dark colored massive skull with a green hue diving down towards Riho, who seemed too focused on Dead to notice.

"Behind you!" Yeman called out quickly. Thankfully his warning wasn't too late, giving Riho enough time to turn around and start shooting the familiar. Without any room in the alley to dodge, a total of eight direct hits to the center of the face caused the skull to shatter, breaking apart quickly.

Any sane person or Keeper would have admitted defeat by this point. From what Yeman remembered in his time in the old Keeper facility, Dead could only regenerate skulls one at a time, and there hadn't been enough time to regenerate a second. She was outnumbered two to one in a location that didn't favor her battle style, but taking the fight into the street wasn't an option. As it was Yeman expected the police to show up any minute, meaning that the three of them needed to disappear A.S.A.P.

Sensing that her current tactic wasn't working, Black backed off, giving Dead time to charge towards Black, who used the underside of her cannon to block a swipe from Dead. Yeman glanced at Riho, who was grinning like a maniac. It took the former councilor only a second to realize that Dead had fallen into some kind of trap.

Black jumped backwards again, this time going well past Riho and Yeman to the other side of the alley. Dead seemed to be focused on Black and Black alone, charging after her with no regard for the other two, a move she had pulled earlier in the evening to great effect. It was obvious that Dead was trying to force Black out of the alleyway, but had unintentionally left her backside open. Without a seconds hesitation Riho whipped around and fired three shots, two in Dead's left leg and one in her right, sending her crashing to the ground. Dead raised an arm towards Black, but was quickly stopped when Black shot Dead in the head, killing her.

"Are you crazy Black!" Yeman shouted, running out of the tunnel. "The revival system that the scientists use to bring you back isn't safe! What if Dead doesn't come out okay this time?"

"Not my concern, once we free her from the Councils control we can start worrying about her."Yeman was surprised by Black's lack of concern for her fellow Keepers. He knew that they were trained to care only about their mission, but he hadn't prepared himself for how harsh Black would be to her fellow Keepers.

Riho stepped in before Yeman could reply. "Alright you two can argue about this later, the cops will be here soon, and I'd rather not be around for that." Holstering her pistol, Riho walked out of the alley towards where her Boltway was parked. After a moment's hesitation, Black and Yeman followed, the trio getting away as the sirens could be heard in the distance.

* * *

**Felt like I rushed the end of the chapter but I didn't want to be stalled for two more weeks so I forced it out. Nothing was really happening with Yeman for the last two chapters, other than him getting fired of course. Oh conspiracies…**

**See you all in two weeks (hopefully, If I'm not late again…)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Only two days late on this one, guess I'm getting slightly better about being on time.**

**COMMENTS ON CHAPTER 5:**

**Crimson Homura:**** I cannot give an estimate on how long it will take, but yes BvW is soon.**

**BRSLoverrr:**** 16 Days isn't too bad considering I took 21 last chapter. But glad you like what you're reading!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Night Hunt**

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Coopers Inn. Suburbs of Obroseon_

_Time:__ Roughly 10:08pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_(One Hour Twenty-nine Minutes Until Squad Keeper Attacks Thilan Factory Zana)_

Black had kept herself on high alert until they entered the apartment at Coopers Inn, still not trusting the strangers that conveniently show up as she's making her escape. The whole thing had been too easy, the guards clearly hadn't been ready for Black's sudden escape. The security systems By the time they got the guards with rocket launchers out it had been too late, she had been standing in front of one of the major labs, and had likely been given orders to not shoot at the labs. The small hesitation gave Black time to gun them down and make a nearly clean escape.

It hadn't been too much of a surprise when Dead showed up outside the facility tunnel, since they had been revived at the same time. Having that weapon smith with her turned out to be the winning factor in the fight. Black wasn't sure what the man Yeman had been doing there though, he just seemed like dead weight. She guessed he wouldn't last a minute in a fight if someone actually cared enough to kill him, which Dead hadn't at the time.

The one thing that _did_ concern her was how Yeman reacted when she killed Dead. Had she not done it, she would have no doubt gotten herself patched up quickly and have followed their car all the way back to the Inn, leading the council to them as well. She couldn't save her fellow Keepers if she was back to being stuck in the facility, and she also knew that any of the Keepers, well maybe not Crystal, would have wanted Black to do it for the sake of the mission. They knew back in training that every day could be their last, but the sacrifice was worth it if the mission was completed. In the end, Black wasn't sure if Yeman didn't understand that and was genuinely concerned for them, or if he really wanted them for a science experiment of his own.

As for Coopers Inn, she found the place not only terrible in terms of its sanitation and appearance, but also terrible in terms of escape routes and the ability to defend it. _I shouldn't stay here very long, I have to go east to Kheawuton to find that Guardian before the council figures out where I am._ Black guessed that the device implanted in the back of her neck was not only supposed to take control of her mind but track her location as well. Meaning she couldn't stay in one place for more than an hour at most, and since she was still in the capital city, she probably had even less time.

When the three of them entered the building Yeman informed the clerk that he had an extra guest, a cousin of his that was visiting from the western farms of Ezodo. The clerk had glanced at Black briefly before allowing them to return to the room, no sign in or questions for Black. She realized that because of the 'no questions asked' policy that this Inn seemed to follow, she could use this place as a future hiding place in Obroseon, assuming the council didn't tear it down and that she could somehow get her tracking device removed later.

Yemen knocked on the door to room 56, and a quick response of "who is it?" quickly followed. Black guessed that this was the room Yeman and Riho were staying in.

"Burger delivery to a Mr. Pickle." Yeman answered. Black heard movement inside the apartment and a clicking sound as the door was unlocked. _They really should use a less obvious code in case anyone is watching them._ Black sighed inwardly. Yeman opened the door and led the young women inside, where a man was sitting at a small table with a laptop with the Obroseon System opened. _Must be a hacker, looks like he's only twenty though, must be talented._

"Glad you were successful." The young man greeted through a mouthful of food.

"What are you eating Pike?" Riho asked in confusion.

"I always pack snacks, I get hungry during operations like these." Pike answered. Riho rolled her eyes and turned to Yeman.

"Alright Yeman, I got you into the facility and rescued the Keeper. When should I expect my Keytonium?"

Yeman sighed, clearly not thrilled to be discussing the subject. "It's in my bag, hang on I'll go get it. Try not to kill each other alright?" Yeman stepped through a door on the right side of them room that led to the bedroom. Black glanced at Riho, who let out a sigh and took out a cigarette from her back pocket. Pike noticed right away and jumped in his seat.

"Woah don't light one of those in here! I don't want any of your second-hand smoke!" Riho raised an eyebrow.

"Are you really going to question the woman with the gun?" Riho's threat didn't seem to faze Pike in the slightest.

"You're talking to the guy who can call the OPD with the touch of a button. Now please, I don't want any lung problems later in my life." Pike turned back to his laptop, but ended up moaning in frustration when Riho took out her lighter and lit the cigarette anyway. "I'm going to get you for this Kuse." Black stopped paying attention to the pair of them and started looking at the laptop screen. It was filled with data on both the Guardians and the Keepers, specifically her and a Guardian named 'Whitestar.'

"You're the one who brought up my past when we first met." Riho retorted. "Consider this payback." Riho put the lighter away. "So I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to be quite so serious all the time." W hen Black realized Riho was talking to her she looked up from the laptop.

"Emotions get in the way of the mission. As a soldier I can't afford to let them get in my way." Riho sat down in the chair on the other side of the table.

"All soldiers feel emotions, you're saying you were raised not to feel anything?" Riho took another puff from the cigarette. "That's cold, but I can understand it. Those who can't feel fear won't lose control of the situation, and those who don't feel the thrill of the fight won't get stupid. That's the theory anyway." Black said nothing, there were questions she wanted to ask but knew that it was wrong for her to ask. Keepers didn't ask questions.

When Riho realized that Black wasn't going to speak she leaned back in her chair. "So what's next for you? I mean after we confirm that the chip in the back of your neck doesn't work. You planning on going after that White guy?" Black's gaze had returned to the laptop, but snapped back to Riho at the mention of the Guardian.

"How do you know about him?" Black asked in what could probably be interpreted as an interested tone.

"He came into my shop earlier today, asked for the harness to the White Rock Cannon. Good group of kids, they didn't seem particularly happy about what they saw in the arena during your little free for all."

Unfortunately, those details weren't important to Black. She needed dates and locations, anything that would help her track Whitestar down. "Did they say where they were going?"

"They didn't say, but I can only guess that that they went with the rest of the Guardians out west to fight the Thilan." Riho answered. _Which means Sy's report is probably accurate. I need to head for Zana as soon as possible._

"Alright Riho I've got it." Yeman emerged from the other room and placed several large metal canisters on the table. "This is all the Keytonium in my possession, as promised it's yours." Riho took a moment to inspect the canisters before nodding in approval.

"Glad to see that you're holding out on me. Now when you raise your little resistance army I can make them quality weapons." Both Yeman and Black were surprised at Riho's response. Based on everything Black had observed about Riho over the last hour, she thought the older woman was a mercenary and had little interest in Yeman's motives. Yeman stared at Riho for a few moments before replying.

"Wait, you're not leaving?" Yeman asked. Riho snorted.

"The council removed me from my military position and is forcing kids to kill each other. On top of that there's nowhere I can go with this much Keytonium without being hunted down by the council." Black realized how right she was. Since the Obroseon Police Department would figure out pretty quickly that all parties used Keytonium weapons, it would be very suspicious for Riho to suddenly have a large stash of Keytonium.

"Riho…I don't-" Riho cut Yeman off before he could get too far into his 'I didn't think this all the way through and now you're screwed' speech.

"Save the sappiness for someone who actually cares Yeman. I knew what I was getting into the second I accepted the job, in fact I'm glad I can stop selling guns and armor to those lowly gangs and move onto something that will actually accomplish something." Riho slowly pushed herself up from the chair and walked towards the door. "I need to go pick up Oris and need, I'll be back in a few hours."

_Clearly the outside world is more complicated than I originally thought._ Black noted. _But it changes nothing, I must go. I cannot afford to waste any more time._ Black walked towards the door to leave, but a voice stopped her as she reached for the handle.

"Black, what are you doing?" Yeman's voice wasn't threatening, instead it sounded like he was concerned for what she might be thinking.

"I'm leaving." Black replied simply.

"You can't go just yet, I need to talk to you!" Yeman sounded like he was pleading. Black turned her head and glared at Yeman.

"They planted a device in the back of my neck and are tracking my location, staying here will only result in my recapture."

"That's highly unlikely." Pike said through a mouthful of food. Both Black and Yeman turned their gazes toward the young hacker. "That chip in the back of your neck is meant to alter your brain, not track your location."

"So then why is my brain not under their control if that is is the chip's function?" Black asked, growing impatient at being stopped at the door. Pike rolled his eyes.

"If I knew that you probably wouldn't be standing here right now." There was a momentary pause before Black once again reached for the door handle.

"Wait!" Yeman exclaimed, dashing forward to try and reach the door handle first. Black caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and within a second had her cannon aimed at Yeman's chest. He froze, raising his hands up at chest level.

"Do not attempt to stop me, I must complete my mission." Black growled.

"It's just," Yeman sighed. "I want to do more than just free all the Keepers, I want to know you guys more. I've been watching the Keepers ever since I was fifteen and my father was overseeing the project. I always sat behind the glass, hoping one day to talk to you all. I mean you're all so amazing. Trained to fight from the moment you're born, you guys work so well together, and you have the discipline that no Blue Rift army has ever shown before. Now that I have this chance, I don't want it to slip away."

Black felt a pang of sympathy for Yeman. In a way, she wanted to know what it was like for ordinary kids, not having to grow up with the expectation of saving the whole continent from a seemingly unbeatable enemy. But at the same time her mission – and her sister – still came first. Black put away her cannon and opened the door, Yeman didn't try to stop her this time, simply standing there with a pleading look in his eyes.

"You want to know why we work so well together?" Black replied as she stood halfway through the door. "It's because we know that whatever happens, we will always stand together as brothers and sisters." Black closed the door and left the Inn.

* * *

"Are you really going to let her go?" Pike asked after a few minutes, continuing to work on his laptop as he did so. Yeman let out another long sigh and sat down on the couch.

"I don't have a choice Pike, it's not like I can stop her."

"So," Pike put the last of the sandwich into his mouth. "Are you going to give up then? Without Black there isn't much chance of getting to the rest of the Keepers, even if we did find a way to deactivate the brain control chip."

"I'm not giving up on the Keepers Pike." Yeman replied sternly. "Not when each night could be their last. There has to be someone else who can help us." Thinking carefully, Yeman ran through a list of possibilities. Black was out of the question, she was off chasing after the Guardian who had White Rock Cannon. The Guardians were too busy on the eastern front dealing with the Thilan. There was no doubt in his mind that Riho would help, but one Keytonium hand cannon wouldn't be enough to take on the remaining Keepers. Yeman recalled something about Riho being a weapons dealer for the gangs, but he doubted they would be interested in taking on the Council, or the Keepers. Admitting defeat for the time being, Yeman stood up and walked back towards the small kitchen towards the front of the room.

"Forget it, I need a drink." Yeman groaned. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Pike smile.

"Not as easy as you thought is it?" Pike asked rhetorically with a hint of amusement. It sounded like he knew something but Yeman found himself too drained of the day's events to ask what he knew. Pulling open the small refrigerator built into the counter, Yeman pulled out a bottle of Obroseon Blue and a single glass. He knew Pike didn't like to drink, especially not the strong stuff.

The young hacker wasn't going to let it go however, and when he figured out that Yeman wasn't going to press him for information, he got up from his laptop and walked to the opposite side of the counter, leaning against it with one arm.

"Alright Yeman here's the deal, seeing how that Black girl was interested in that Whitestar guy, I checked him out and got a little information." Yeman took a sip from his drink and looked up at Pike with a look of half interest; half 'I'm going to fall asleep from exhaustion any minute.' "Turns out he's the leader of a team called 'Squad Keeper.'" This gave Yeman pause. _Wait, there's no way they could be naming themselves after the Keepers… Wait a second, when Riho interrogated them, they said that they hated the Keeper Battles!_ Yeman pushed up off the counter so suddenly he almost fell backwards. Pike grinned, clearly getting the reaction he wanted.

"Great Sanctuary, these Guardians could be the answer we're looking for!" Yeman declared. Pike only sighed.

"Dammit man!" Pike bounced a closed fist off of the counter and stood upright. "You have ten years on me and you _still_ can't connect the dots. Who do you think Black just ran off to go find?"

Yeman found himself growing frustrated. Squad Keeper would be his best shot at freeing the rest of the Keepers, but Black was also on her way to them. On top of that she had a head start and knew where she was going. _So great, they're no longer an option, back to square one._ Yeman threw an angry glare at Pike.

"Alright what the hell Pike. First you tell me we might have an option with Squad Keeper and then you remind me that Black is on her way to do who knows what to them! Tell me where you're going with this already!" Yeman's shouting was met with a long sigh of disappointment.

"Alright, since Squad Keeper is sympathetic to the Keepers, it's logical that other Guardians may share the same opinion. Meaning-"

"Meaning that we might be able to recruit some of them to our cause!" Yeman finished, however his brain was starting to turn back on, and sighed as he finished thinking the plan through. "Alright, it's a good start, but there are a few problems with that plan. First of all the Guardians have a remove kill switch built into them in case they go rouge. So if we were to attack that Keeper facility with a small army of Guardians, we'd be done for. Secondly, we can't exactly just go over to the front lines and start asking random Guardians if they want to go rouge, we'd get arrested for treason." Yeman paced back and forth in the small kitchen, trying to think of a solution.

"We might be able to spread rumors about why the Keepers were really created and the brain control chip, which might get a few Guardians over to our side." Yeman continued, thinking aloud. "But then we still have to find a way to turn off the kill switch that the Guardians have and move against the Keeper facility before they get onto us." Yeman crossed his arms and began to tap a finger against his side. "But then again there's no way they'll keep that facility where it is after we broke into it, meaning we're also going to find it again."

"Alright so we need to find out where the new Keeper facility is going to be, break back into their security system after they finish locking me out, remove the kill switch in the Guardians, and recruit them to our cause." Pike nodded while pressing his lips together. "Yeah this is doable. Did I mention that you're by far the most idealistic idiot I've ever met?"

"You can't ask me to sit on my ass and do nothing Pike." Yeman retorted sharply. "Besides you signed up for this." Pike grinned.

"Touché my friend. I'm drawn to impossible causes led by perverted people who lost their jobs because they hit on young girls."

Yeman resisted the urge to smash his fist into Pike's head, which wasn't an easy task. "Hilarious Pike, real mature." Yeman replied monotonously. "My reasons for helping the Keepers are private alright?"

"Touchy subject eh?" Pike sighed and walked back over to his laptop. "Alright Yeman I won't pressure it further. Just make sure we have a plan when the hammer drops ok?" Yeman nodded , quickly downed the rest of his drink, and retired into the bedroom to get some much needed sleep. _We can do this. With or without Black I will free them._

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, 1st Month, 22__nd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Suburbs of Obroseon_

_Time:__ Roughly 10:37pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_(One Hour Until Squad Keeper Attacks Thilan Factory Zana)_

Black still felt bad for Yeman. All he wanted was answers and have a better understanding, something Black wished for when her control over her emotions slipped, like right now. Black mentally slapped herself and pushed her feelings to the side. She still had a job to do, and she didn't have a lot of time to do it. _Each night could be the last for any one of my family._

She knew tracking down Whitestar wasn't going to give Black a solution to freeing the Keepers, but it was something she had to do anyway. Her desire to find the Guardian was something Black couldn't explain with logic. Finding the White Rock Cannon just felt like the right thing to do. Like it was what her sister wanted her to do.

Of course that wasn't _really_ the case. Unlike many of the citizens on Blue Rift, Black was atheistic. She didn't believe in some higher power or people rising to a higher plain of existence. Black knew that when she died, that would be it for her. It didn't really bother her, after all she hadn't even been born naturally. Black was a weapon, and when she was no longer useful, she would be discarded.

Realizing she was getting herself lost in thoughts that were inappropriate, she pushed her feelings aside and refocused her mind. At the moment Black stood roughly a mile and a half east of Coopers Inn, looking out at the flat plains that stretched to the horizon towards Kheawuton. She needed to get to the former Kheawuton capital as soon as possible while Whitestar was still in the area. The only question was how to get there. It would take Black weeks to walk there, and the train would be heavily guarded. That left only one option.

She needed a hovercar.

There was no moral consequence to stealing one, Black and the other Keepers had been told to accomplish the mission by any means necessary, even at the cost of civilian lives if it came to that. Turning around, Black jumped off of the roof of the building she had been standing on, bouncing off of a large dumpster before landing on the ground.

The only problem Black had with stealing a hovercar was the defensive systems in place. In order to turn on a hovercar, one needed to be in possession of both the keys and the pass code, which was only given by a car dealer at the time of the sale. True she could probably bully it out of someone, but Black wanted as little attention on her as possible. Attracting the police would be a bad idea. Blacks mind started reeling through potential ideas.

Since stealing was out of the question she would need to buy a car, but even if she were to find a cheap used car lot Black didn't have any money, and there wasn't time to get a job. Taking a quick job as an assassin would probably work, but then she would be killing civilians to make money, a practice forbidden no matter what. Almost everything the Keepers did had to be for the good of Blue Rift, and her personal quest didn't qualify.

_What if I traveled with someone already going to Kheawuton?_ Hitchhiking. That was the answer Black was looking for. She couldn't pay the person back with anything more than a thanks, but it was the best option she had on short notice. The roads to Kheawuton were supposedly off limits to civilians, but various people moved out east illegally. All Black needed to do was go with one of these people.

Black pulled her hood over her head and started walking, trying to look as casual as possible. To anyone who might have caught a glance of Black, she probably looked like a local gang member, someone to stay clear of unless they were looking for trouble. This let Black move freely through the suburbs, which were nearly silent. Most of the houses and building Black passed didn't have any lights on.

After a good ten minutes of walking Black spotted the East Highway on her right. Only one line of dark houses, a large fifteen foot wall, and an OPD checkpoint stood between her and the road east. Leaping over a white fence, Black quickly jogged through the empty yard of one of the houses, easily jumping over the fence on the other side with minimal effort.

Black knelt down, pressing herself against the fence as much as she could. To her left was a clear vision of the checkpoint. If they looked over towards Black she doubted they'd miss her, even if her clothes were black and there wasn't any light. She needed to get through the wall quickly. However the wall was completely smooth, there was no way Black was going to be able to climb over it. Shooting it was also out of the question unless she wanted to start killing off the officers at the checkpoint. _I can't get through this way._

Retracing her steps back to the other side of the yard, Black felt a twitch of surprise as she spotted a large hovertruck coming down the road with the logo of a military weapons company on the side of the crates it held in the back. Moving quickly, Black ran out into the middle of the road, right in front of the truck. With a loud screech the truck slowed to a stop, and the driver – a male looking to be in his mid-thirties with a bit of dark hair on the chin – stuck his head out the window.

"Yo kid what are you doing? Don't you know it's dangerous to be playin' out in the streets?" Black said nothing, instead she walked up to the truck and opened the door.

"I need a ride to Khua." Black said, her voice making it sound like it was more of a demand than a request.

"That's the front lines in the war against the Thilan, what could a youngster like you possibly be doin' trying to get out there?" The man asked in disbelief.

"I'm looking for someone." Black replied simply. "I only ask that I be allowed to travel in your vehicle, nothing more." The man raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think I'm going east?"

"You have a large amount of military grade weapons in the bed of your truck." Black answered. "A shipment of that size could only be going to the front lines." There was a long pause before the man eventually sighed.

"Alright fine, it's obvious you're just gonna just go with someone else if I don't take you. Consider yourself lucky I'm not the type to take advantage of 'ya." Clearly the man hadn't recognized Black nor seen the cannon on her back, if he had the driver might not have seen her as a desperate female teenager. Black didn't care if the man saw her this way, she had what she needed. In fact it was probably better than he didn't recognize her. Unclipping the cannon from her back, she climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door.

"I'm headed to Baquin, will that be close enough for you?" The man asked, putting the truck into drive. Baquin was a small town just a few miles away from the former capital, close enough for her to get there in just under an hour at a running pace.

"That will be fine." Black answered simply.

"You don't say much do you?" The man observed turning the corner and pulling up to the checkpoint. Black nudged her hood over her eyes, she felt the man's gaze on her for a moment but he didn't say anything as the truck slowed to a stop. Black the heard the sound of a window lowering, the noise of the truck's engine becoming louder. _If I'm lucky the officers won't ask too many questions. If they find out who I am I'll never get another chance at this._

"Evening there Hans, another shipment for the guys on the front line?" Black didn't recognize the voice, but guessed it belonged to one of the checkpoint officers.

"Yup, mostly heavy weapons this time. I hear those assault tanks are doing a number on our boys." Hans replied, there was a sigh from the official.

"Damn Thilan, once they got their hands on our large factories this war has just gone from bad to worse. At least the Guardians are out there now."

"You really think they're going to make a difference?" Hans asked, sounding surprised that the guard had so much faith in the new warriors. "Sounds like it's a load of crap to me, propaganda to cover up how bad the war is going."

"Better to have some hope than none right?"

"I'd prefer to know exactly what the situation is, not have some newspaper or government official sugarcoat it." Hans replied grimly.

"So who's the girl?" the official asked. Black resisted the urge to tense up.

"Nephew, parents are out of town for the weekend and put me in charge of her."

"I didn't realize you had a nephew." _He's buying this?_

"Don't like to talk about her much, troublemaker without good grades, you know?" Hans sounded genuinely disappointed, almost like she really _was_ a troublemaking nephew.

"Alright, well I'll let you guys through, just need to see the passports." The officers voice sounded slightly bored at reciting procedure, like he had already done it thousands of times before. Black guessed that the man thought it ridiculous to check the passports of someone whose gone through the checkpoint dozens of times before. Still, Black didn't have a passport, meaning that she would probably end up having to fight her way out. But before Black could start reaching for her cannon, Hans threw up a hand in frustration.

"Dammit, sorry Frank I forgot the kid's passport back at the apartment. Guess I was so focused on checking the shipment I forgot all about it." Black heard Frank chuckle.

"Seriously Hans, it's always something with you. Well I don't think we need to worry about it. I can let it slide just this once."

"Thanks Frank, I owe you a drink when I get back." Still unwilling to look up, Black heard the sound of gates opening and felt the truck lurch forward. Black couldn't believe the guards bought Han's nephew and passport story.

The pair drove in silence. Black eventually found herself getting bored, and would liked to have pulled out one of her books that she put in her dimensional storage, but retrieving it would give her away. Instead she looked out in the window, watching the empty open plains around Obroseon.

Black felt strange seeing it with her own eyes. She had spent all over her life inside, either training or studying. Sure she had seen these plains in vids before, but it was different to watch them pass by with her own two eyes. And to Black, there was something special about watching it at night.

There had once been a time when Black hadn't been so hard on herself, when she had been a little more rebellious. Before her sister died, the pair of them would sneak out of their rooms and watch vids about the outside world. It didn't matter what they watched. Farmers in Ezodo planting crops, miners in Zintis, families celebrating national holidays in Obroseon, it didn't matter. Both of them just wanted to know more about the outside world.

One memory in particular was very vivid for Black, the night before White's accident. The pair of them were watching a vid about daily life about citizen life in Obroseon. On the screen was a family of four, mother father and two kids. The vid was discussing formal eating habits of normal families, not that the pair of them was paying much attention to the words.

"I want to have a family like that someday." White said with a dreamy sigh. Black turned to her sister and raised an eyebrow.

"You know that's against the rules right?" White punched Black in the arm lightly.

"It'll happen, just you wait. I'm going to find the best husband and have the best family!" White's eyes were filled with determination. It was almost easy to forget that the pair of them were being trained as killing machines.

"Do you think we'll be able to live our own lives?" White asked suddenly. Her voice sounding sadder than it had been a moment ago. That was White though, one moment she would be lost in a fantasy, and the next she would return to the real world. Black had been caught off guard by the question.

"I think so, after we defeat the Thilan." Black said, returning her gaze to the family. White hugged her legs tightly.

"But they control the whole planet! There are so many of them, it feels like we'll spend our whole lives fighting." Black slid herself over and hugged her sister, trying to comfort her.

"Don't worry, we'll beat them, together." Black promised.

Black still regretted being unable to keep that promise. And after the death of her sister she fought furiously, using the anger at the death of White. She blamed the Thilan, the trainers, the scientists, everyone she could see she blamed for not doing enough to save her sister at the time. As she grew older she accepted what happened and lost her rage. She stopped going to the vid room at night, and attempted to lose all of her emotions in order to become what she wanted to be, the greatest Thilan killing machine of all time.

The sound of a voice made Black realize she was letting herself fall into her memories again, and she mentally slapped herself. _Idiot, that's over now. Those times are gone, why can't I shake those memories?_

"Hey, kid are you listening?" The voice again, this time Black's ears managed to register Han's question.

"Apologies, is there something you needed?" Black asked, turning away from the window. The truck was still moving along the highway alone, the plains had started becoming the deserts of Kheawuton. It meant that the pair had been driving for about forty five minutes. That was forty five minutes when she could have been killed because she daydreamed.

"Just a question about your rock cannon, if you're up for answering." Black froze, wondering how Han's had managed to figure out her identity. Clearly her panic must have been written all over her face, because Hans laughed.

"Calm down kid, did you really think I wasn't going to notice who you were when you took of your weapon? No one else on Blue Rift has a weapon like that, you're lucky that Frank was too busy talking to me to notice." With her mental barriers shattered from the shock of finding out that Hans knew who she was, Black felt a wave of shame. She should have known that just putting up her hood would have done nothing to hide Black Rock Cannon. "Seriously kid, don't worry about it. If I wanted to give you away I would have done it back at the checkpoint. Besides, I expected this sooner or later."

"You… expected me?" Black asked in confusion, still doing a poor job of hiding her emotions.

"Not everyone in Obroseon agrees with the Keeper Battles. A lot of us in the suburban districts think this is all some grand conspiracy. The way you and the rest of the Keepers reacted on that first night is proof of that. Figured one of you would eventually break out of there and try to escape." Black didn't know what to say, she had just been helped by a complete stranger who had pieced together exactly what happened to them.

"Don't you want to do something about it?" Black asked. Hans shrugged.

"Sure, I'd love to. But no sane person will try and prove that there is a conspiracy behind the newest and most popular spectator sport on Blue Rift, not to mention that you'd probably end up disappearing." Black fell silent, a single question burning in the back of her mind.

"Why did you help me then? You must know that the council is looking for me, who knows what they'll do to you." Hans shrugged.

"I figure I'd do my part to help you guys out. Eventually the people will realize what the Keeper battles really are, and I'll be glad to say I was able to help do something about it. More than anything, it's just the right thing to do." _The right thing to do…_ Black wanted to think about it more, but something in the back of her mind told her that danger was coming, fast.

Without any warning, a large red chain slammed into the road just to the left of the truck, just missing it by inches.

"Don't stop, we need to keep moving!" Black shouted at Hans, who looked ready to slam on the breaks.

"What the hell was that?" Hans asked as he slammed his foot into the gas pedal.

"Our enemies." Black replied simply, throwing her cannon onto her back and opening the door to the truck.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Hans demanded.

"To defeat them." Black answered without turning around. Stepping onto the footstep, Black slowly made her way towards the bed of the truck, pressing herself against the truck while keeping a tight grip on the seat belt she had taken with her.

The truck swerved to the left as the red chain came down, hitting the spot where the vehicle had been just a moment before. Once Hans had the truck re-stabilized Black quickly let go of the seat belt and grabbed the edge of the bed, hauling herself up and over the side.

Right behind the hovertruck was a dark green Express Boltway, normally too expensive to use for any kind of military operation. However it was known to be the fastest hovercar in addition to the most expensive. With the tinted windows Black couldn't see who was driving, but she did spot a familiar face standing on top of the car, a male Keeper one year younger than Black who went by the name Red Chain Whipper. Specializing in chains similar to the ones Dead uses, Red had always given Black a hard time during sparing matches. His fighting style kept opponents away from him while his spiked chains attacked from a distance, and since Black used projectile weapons in her cannon, he could smash those as well.

Red grinned before throwing one of his two chains right at Black, who dodged to the left just in time for the chain to pass right by her ear before slingshoting back. _He's gotten faster than the last time._ Black observed. Summoning Black Blade in her hand – since her rock cannon would be useless against red – Black climbed on top of the weapons containers, readying herself for Red's next attack.

The other Keeper didn't waste a second, throwing the chain in his right hand outward at a speed that normal people wouldn't have been able to track. Equally as fast, Black sent the chain flying off to the left with a single defensive strike, doing the same to the chain in Red's left hand that had been thrown soon after the right one.

Both chains quickly fell to the ground, but Red only retracted them enough so they wouldn't drag on the ground. With an overhead motion with his arm, he lifted his left chain over his arm and brought it downward in a blur of motion. Black shot forward, moving diagonally. The chain slammed against the steel container, denting it but not breaking it. _I need to be careful. _Black noted as she darted forward. _One wrong step for either of us and it's over._

Red brought his left chain flying horizontally at Black, clearly trying to hit her in the torso and knock her off the truck. Black dropped, slamming her body against the one open space in the bed of the truck. Her legs crashed against the back, sending the tailgate flying out. Black slammed her blade into the bed of the truck to keep her from going over as well. The Boltway swerved to the left, dodging the tailgate but also throwing Red off balance. His chain flew wildy in the air, and it was clear to Black that he had never controlled his chains while moving at a high speed before.

Red attempted to retract his chains rapidly, ducking to dodge his own weapon and throwing out his right one as he did so. Black pulled her katana out of the bed and rolled to the right, feeling a sharp stab of pain as she was forced to roll over her cannon. Black completed one more roll, letting the large weapon stop her before she quickly sat up and pulled it out. Now with both chains out and in motion, there was no way for Red to defend himself. Black leveled her cannon and took aim at Red's chest, but the Boltway sharply pulled to the right as she pulled the trigger, causing her shot to miss.

The sudden motion however had caused Red's left chain to fly in all directions, and his right chain ended up swerving to the side, after snapping backwards, swinging itself through the Boltway's driver's side window.

The Boltway swerved to the right, knocking Red off the top and sending him crashing to the asphalt below. Red rolled a good fifteen to twenty feet before finally stopping. Black knew that wasn't going to kill him. True it would probably take him a good two days to crawl back to Obroseon but he was alive.

The same couldn't be said about the Boltway driver though.

After Red had been knocked to the ground, the car had sped off the asphalt, and as soon as it hit the dirt it began to flip and roll, not stopping until it was just a small spec on Black's vision. Whoever the driver had been, there was no way they were alive now. Black returned her rock cannon to the harness and Black Blade to dimensional storage, she knew that there weren't going to be any more Keepers coming towards her for at least another few hours.

She had been lucky, whoever had decided to send Red Chain Whipper had been stupid. At those high speeds with the added difficulty of movement by the Boltway made Red's chains a highly unreliable weapon. If they had sent Dead or a Keeper with a ranged weapon, Black would have been in a lot more trouble. _I doubt I'll get that lucky twice._ Black commented to herself as she felt the truck begin to slow to a stop.

Hans came scrambling out of the truck, eyes wide and breathing hard. "Are you alright?" His eyes lowered to Black's legs. "Great Sanctuary you're bleeding." Black looked down at her left leg. Her adrenaline rush had been so high that she hadn't even noticed the cut. It was fairly shallow but it ran from her knee all the way down to her foot, her boot torn apart. _It must have been in the last moments of the fight._ Black guessed.

"Do you have any medical supplies?" Black asked calmly. Hans nodded and ran back towards his truck. Black sat with her feet hanging over the edge of the truck, and she looked out at the horizon, where she could see the moon slowly rising. _I'll be on the road for a few days before we reach Baquin. _Based on the reports she had heard from Pike, the new Accelerator Trains had been completed and put into use. Any one of those trains that departed from Obroseon could reach another kingdom in five hours or less. A fraction of the time it took a person to drive that far.

Black started to worry, a few days was a lot of time for someone on the front lines to either die or move on to another location by train. This would probably be the only time when Black would be certain of Whitestar's location, and she couldn't afford to waste it.

"Here, hopefully you can patch yourself up with what's in here." Black looked to her left to find Hans holding out a solid red case with one hand.

"Thanks." Black took the medical kit and opened it, first taking the disinfectant out and spraying it over the long gash. The chemicals against the open wound stung but it wasn't anything Black hadn't dealt with before. In fact it was a good sign that she still had feeling in her entire leg.

"How bad is it?" Hans asked with a slight note of concern.

"Long but not deep, I'll be fine by morning." Black answered monotonously.

"Geez kid you're incredible, 'ya handled that guy like he was nothing." Black didn't respond to Hans's compliment. All she had done was defeat someone she had fought a hundred times before, and there was no pleasure in defeating someone who was supposed to be on her side.

"Was he a Keeper?" Hans asked as Black returned the disinfectant to the kit and took out a large roll of white bandage tape.

"Yes." Black sighed. "His name is Red Chain Whipper."

"Was he after 'ya because 'ya ran away?"

"Yes."

"So are the rumors true then?" Black paused wrapping up her leg and turned to Hans.

"The rumors about the Keepers being part of a conspiracy?" Hans nodded. "I wouldn't know. All I know is that once we were training to fight the Thilan, and then they implanted those mind control chips in us and we became science experiments." Black resumed wrapping and Hans fell silent.

Within a few minutes the lower half of Black's left leg was completely white, wrapped tightly. Hans was leaning against the hovertruck, looking at the rising moon until Black was done. As soon as she had finished his communicator had gone off, and the truck driver stepped away to answer the call, figuring that it was his boss.

_Maybe Whitestar would help me._ Black wondered , closing the red medical kit and leaning back against one of the steel containers. Considering the guy had his sisters cannon it could be possible that we would want to help Black free the rest of the Keepers. Then again it was equally possible that he wouldn't. It was a hope that she wouldn't let herself hold onto. And either way, she was going to have to take the cannon away from him. _But can I take on four Guardians?_

Black didn't even have a remote idea of how strong they were. True Hans had his own doubts about the true strength of the new heroes of Blue Rift, but he was just speculating without any factual evidence. There was the very real possibility that the Guardians would turn out to be much more deadly than the Keepers. _They must be,_ Black realized, _If the council was willing to choose them over a project that took them sixteen years to prepare._ There wasn't time for doubts. Even if the odds were stacked against Black this was something she had to do, for her sister as well as herself.

"Well I got good news and bad news." Black turned to Hans, but gave no other response. "The bad news is that I've been told to redirect to Delesi, which means I can't drive you all the way to Baquin." Black felt herself going into a panic. Khua was still at least another two weeks walk from here. There would be no way for her to catch up to Whitestar on foot.

"The good news is that an Accelerator Train is going to stop there before making its final stop in the old capital." Hans grinned, and Black actually gave a smile. Instead of taking two days or two weeks to get to Khua, she would be there in less than two hours.

* * *

**Not really much to say at the end here except see you guys in two weeks with another chapter! Remember to leave a review and follow!**


	7. Chapter 7

**OMGOMGOMGOMG I'M SORRY GUYS!**

**It was never my intention to leave you guys hanging on Chapter Six like that. Life literally smited me with job opportunities and finals! I tried to write wherever I could but time was something I just didn't have! Over the last three days I've been rushing to get this chapter out! Literally 8k words in three days. Crazy. The end result is a chapter over 13k words long, including the long awaited matchup that you guys have been excited for. So yeah, I guess I won't even promise a chapter in two weeks, but one "soon."**

**No reviews. Huh. Guess I did a cruddy job on chapter six. Makes sense. Enjoy seven guys!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Black and White**

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Thilan Factory Zana_

_Time:__ Roughly 8:37pm P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

White yawned and stretched his arms before leaning back against the outer wall of the empty building. Their wait had been long and painful, without any way to do something else on their computers in the real world they had been playing games on their smart phones for the last three hours. White, Rose, and DJ had rotated every forty five minutes to keep an eye out for any Thilan forces that may have discovered them, but it had been all quiet.

The awkward part about this entertainment, as the whole squad had quickly figured out, is that their Guardians copied their movements in the real world. Meaning everyone was sitting looking down at an invisible handheld device. White was now glad those soldiers hadn't stuck around. He really hated looking like an idiot.

Winston hadn't been there for the discovery though. They had a while ago that it would be silly to try and attack the factory complex without any kind of information, and Winston had been the obvious choice to go. He always had played assassins for the group, scouting ahead and picking off key targets while the others took on armies head on. BRSO may be more high risk, but it was no reason to deviate from the strategy that had made them kings and queen of other MMORPG's.

An alarm went off on White's smart phone in the real world, his Guardian looking down and grabbing at air as his body in the real world disabled the alarm. _Eight thirty-seven._ White sighed inwardly. _Winston should have been back by now. We needed to have finished putting the plan together ten minutes ago._ White pulled up the message app on his phone, sending a text to Winston.

_Where r u?_

_ Taking the long way b, didn't want the Thilans getting suspicious. B there in 5._

White pushed himself to his feet, stretching his Guardians body. To White, this attack marked the first battle of BRSO, but at the same time it didn't feel like anything special. He had played so many online games that the first of anything was more of a learning experience than something to be proud of. In fact most of his first battles in online games ended up being something he's look back on later and laugh at because of his failure.

BRSO wasn't one of those games though, and it made him nervous. There was no training period where he and his friends could make mistakes. One slip is all it would take to get them kicked out of the game indefinitely, and this wasn't exactly an easy mission. Taking out a Thilan factory that produced heavy tanks was almost a death sentence. If they were to get caught at any point during the mission they would be dead instantly.

White walked inside the abandoned two story structure to find Rose and DJ sitting cross legged on the ground, still playing on their smart phones considering how their hands looked like they were grabbing at nothing. It was interesting, the headset that they wore while playing BRSO that increased the response time in BRSO didn't appear to have the ability to distinguish if an action was meant for BRSO and the real world. White's best guess is that it copied whatever move that the player was thinking at the time and translated it into the game, while at the same time not copying the sitting posture that the player was in while playing.

"Dammit Rose, how are you so good at this!" DJ exclaimed, slamming a fist into the ground in frustration. "Alright, another round, best of eleven!"

Rose looked at White and rolled her eyes. Only one game outside of PC games could get DJ this fired up, the online chess app the whole group had installed a year ago when the online game they had been playing had a major server crash. They had played chess with each other for nearly four hours until the servers had come back. DJ hadn't won a single game during that whole time. White believed it to be because of his friend's personality. DJ was an act first and ask questions later kind of guy, making him terrible at most strategy games.

White nonetheless gave the Trooper a sympathetic smile. "Sorry DJ, we don't have time for you guys to play a best of twenty-one. Winston will be back soon." DJ threw his hands into the air in mock frustration.

"Well dammit! Looks like we're gonna have to settle this one later Rose."

Rose rolled her eyes again. "In your dreams tough guy. You know how it goes, all brawns no brains." DJ gave Rose a good humored light smack in the arm which she returned with a wide grin. There was a brief moment of silence, during which White looked out the open door, waiting patiently for Winston.

"So, why was our glorious bookworm taking so long to start coming back?" DJ asked with his arms folded over his chest.

White turned to DJ with a confused expression and a shrug. "He said he was trying to avoid the Thilan from getting suspicious, whatever that means."

"Maybe he found something important and had to be careful he wasn't caught." Rose reasoned. White's mouth twitched as he considered the possibility. "There really isn't any way to tell until he gets back though." Everyone remained silent while they waited for Winston. The air was thick with anticipation. Everyone was ready to get out there and actually start shooting something rather than just seeing the sights of the game itself.

After what felt like an eternity, Winston stepped through the front entrance. "Apologies everyone," Winston waved, "it took me longer to get back than expected."

DJ's left eyebrow twitched, a signal that he wasn't too happy about having to wait around. "What was so important to take up nearly two and a half hours!?" Winston replied by giving DJ a flat stare.

"I found a backdoor into the factory complex." Winston explained. "It gets us very close to a massive cylinder tower that's filled with some kind of fuel."

"What, like gasoline?" Rose asked. Winston shrugged.

"Likely, from what I saw on the tower it looks like it's fairly explosive. If we detonate the bomb by the tower it might destroy the whole complex. There's just one small issue. The whole area around the tower is crawling with Thilan guards. It's a miracle I wasn't caught." White frowned. Winston's observations provided an easy weak point for blowing up the factory, but there was no way they could take on an army by themselves.

"Did you see what the Thilan looked like?" Rose asked Winston.

"They looked human enough, red body armor with weapons that looked like they were more advanced than standard Sanctuary soldiers, but not as advanced as Guardian class tech. The guide we were given on the first night confirms the theory as well."

"Is that it?" DJ asked, sounding surprised. "Because if that's all we can just storm the place." Rose reached over and smacked the back of DJ's head.

"Idiot, the place is a _tank factory._ I'm sure that they have at least a few operational tanks on hand."

"I also didn't see very much." Winston pointed out. "There were so many Thilan mechanics running around it wasn't safe to go very far. MMO experience dictates that we should expect the unexpected."

"So what do we do?" Rose asked, and everyone fell silent, trying to think of a plan.

To White, two things were clear. First, the factory was too well fortified to sneak inside and then start shooting everything up. They would be quickly surrounded and killed, and there was no way Guardian bodies were durable enough to survive that kind of fire. Second, the fuel tower was in the middle of the open, meaning that the base either had a shield or very advanced anti-aircraft fire protecting it from air strikes.

But what about a frontal attack? _No that's no good._ White sighed inwardly. _We'd be outgunned because of the tanks. This isn't one of those old FPS games where a sniper rifle can take down a heavy tank in two shots, and even if that WERE to happen, the entire defenses of the base would be on top of us in seconds if we tried that._ White stopped. There was his answer, and it was so simple he wanted to slap himself. At the same time however, it was risky.

"Alright I have a plan." Everyone's gaze turned to White.

"Ok then White Mastermind," DJ said with a grin, using the nickname that White gad been given in their last MMORPG by the community. "What is it?"

"We split into two groups." White explained quickly. "Since DJ is the only one who can carry the bomb, he and Winston will use the backdoor to sneak inside the base. At the same time Rose and I will hit the front of the base, pulling away the defenders."

"I hate to break this to you Sherlock, but even with me sniping in the background, you can't hope to take on the entire complex's defenses by yourself." Rose said with narrowed eyes.

"Believe me, I know. But I'm not banking on a simple distraction plan." Rose raised an eyebrow, and White continued. "Once inside the base, Winston and DJ aren't going directly to the fuel tower. They're going to search the base for an operational tank for Winston to hijack. Once he has one, he's going to destroy the front gates, and remove the defenders. We're going to make it look like the three of us are trying to retake the complex on our own, and while that's all happening, DJ will arm the bomb to blow this place sky high.

"So basically you want to not only destroy the base, but steal one of their tanks as well." Rose sighed and shook her head. "White you are by far the craziest person I've ever met."

"This is probably our best option." Winston replied while rubbing his ring finger against his thumb, a sign that he was thinking about this plan carefully. "It has the highest chance of success."

"Yeah but so many things could go wrong with it! Are we sure that there isn't a better plan!" Rose asked desperately, looking directly at White.

"Any other plan would lead to our deaths with even the tiniest of mistakes." White said while shaking his head.

"Besides, if we pull this off we don't just get medals, we get a fricking tank!" DJ pumped his fist in his excitement.

Rose let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright fine, since we don't have any other options. But we have to move fast, otherwise White and I won't last long out there."

White quickly moved himself over to the open door and spun around to face the rest of his team, crossing his arms as he did so. "Alright, let's go then. No point in sitting around after we've waited all day to start shooting things! Winston will take DJ and the bomb to the secret backdoor while Rose and I start blowing things apart!"

"How are we going to stay in contact with one another?" Rose asked, interrupting White's speech. "We didn't get radios when we got the rest of our equipment."

"That's not entirely true." The group turned to face Winston.

"Explain." White said with curiosity.

"In the hour before I scouted the factory, I decided to read up on the manual the clerks at the Guardian Tower gave to us in our bags."

"Dude, you were reading a _manual?_ Lame." DJ sighed with while shaking his head in disappointment. Winston responded to the terrible joke by giving the muscular Guardian a glare.

"Considering what I found in there was very valuable, I'd say it was worth it. As it turns out being an official squad also gives us our own private communications channel. All you have to do is hit CNTL SHIFT C and it will open up a window that will ask for your squad name. Just put in Keeper and you're in." White did as Winston instructed, hitting the three buttons at the same time. A slightly transparent blue window with a single line of text and a blank box under it appeared in the center of his screen. _Squad Name?_ It asked. White typed in _Keeper_ and his enter. The box moved to the upper left corner of White's screen, at the top of the window in all caps was _SQUAD KEEPER._ Just under that was his username – Whitestar – and the names of the other three squad mates. Green circles were to the left of their names.

"So we just talk and it works?" DJ asked. Winston shook his head.

"Not quite. You have to hold down the F1 key to talk."

"Like this?" DJ's voice was echoed by the com channel, and the dark green circle next to DJ's name lit up. "Oh, okay now I get it."

"Good, now that that's settled grab the bomb and get in position." White grinned. "Let's go get 'em."

* * *

Nearly forty minutes later White sat waiting under a window of a torn-up house that stood on the other side of a large four lane road that separated him from the front entrance of the Zana factory complex. Curtains that had been ripped and torn fluttered in the breeze that came in through the shattered window. The room filled with scattered papers, broken floorboards, and furniture broken and torn. Couches, chairs, and even what looked like a baby crib. The last one had White turning away from the scene. _Even if it's a virtual reality that's painful, especially since the detail in this game is so good._

Holding White Rock Cannon in his right arm, White was watching the opening of the complex through the corner of the window. He was waiting for one of two things, the first was for DJ and Winston to tell him that they were in position at the backdoor and that White and Rose could start shooting at any time. The second was for Rose to sneak a shot through the open doors and hit a high ranking officer or an engineer.

It wasn't possible for White to start a fight by blasting open the doors. DJ was the one with the explosives and there was no way his cannon was going to be able to punch through the thick outer walls of the complex. However White guessed that shooting them would give the desired effect nonetheless, an endless wave of Thilan troops sent out to kill White and eventually Rose. They just needed to wait for DJ's signal. _WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING THEM SO LONG?_

The wait was agonizing. The longer White sat there, the more his fingers itched to start the fight. Although White was a patient gamer, he wasn't used to spending all day on a game and not shoot anything. He had kept himself occupied by checking out the scenery and playing around with the freedom the headset had given him, but now that he was actually about to start ripping Thilan soldiers apart, his bones were eager for battle. It wasn't like White was battle hungry or suicidal; it was just the part of the game that White enjoyed the most. Action and adventure games were his favorite, and the more there was to explore, the more he loved the game. BRSO was bound to be a top five.

"Alright good buddy we're ready, go ahead and start the fun." White nearly jumped at the sudden appearance of DJ's voice over the com-line. White had been so lost in his daydream that the sound of his friend's voice had nearly caused him to jump out of his chair in the real world. After a couple of deep breaths to calm him, White grinned evilly and rested his cannon on the broken window, hitting a button above the trigger inside the cannon. A humming noise began to emit from the cannon, a sign that the safety was off and the cannon armed. Taking a moment to aim at the front gates, he pulled the trigger of his cannon for the first time.

Immediately, a sphere of energy erupted from the cannon and exploded into the retractable metal gates of the factory, leaving a hole the size of a basketball. White was surprised. He had braced his Guardian for the massive kick he thought would come with shooting the cannon, but there hadn't really been any kick at all. White began to rapidly pull the trigger, but quickly found that the cannon could only manage about three shots per second. Just barley, White could make out the sound of alarms over the semi-loud pwangs of the cannon.

At the very top of his vision, White could make out two cylinder like objects rise from the top of the wall. White quickly ducked behind his cover as bolts of energy sailed over his head and into the rubble of the room, one shot hitting a small table that sent it crashing to the ground. White tried to peer over the windowsill, but another round of bolts forced him back down before he could see anything. The sound of churning metal gears signaled that the front gates were opening while complex's attacker was pinned.

There a pair of distant _bang_ sounds that resembled a sniper rifle just before both of the towers exploded in sequence. Another surprise for White, he hadn't expected Rose to be armed with explosive rounds. Especially since all of their weapons were energy based. White quickly re-placed his cannon in the window and quickly picked off three of the Thilan soldiers that were running out of the gate towards the building he was in.

White was lucky, the closest soldiers had nearly finished crossing the road and had been seconds away from reaching his position. In all, minus the three he had just shot, there were five soldiers running across the exposed road towards White's position. It was obvious that the Thilan hadn't prepared themselves for the Shooter and Sniper class combination that was being used against them. The Thilan strategy was obvious. Use automated guns or the guards on the roof to distract White while a team snuck in behind him.

Another _bang_ rang out and a soldier who was halfway across the roadway dropped instantly. By now the Thilan soldiers began to realize that they no longer had any cover from behind them, and began to raise their weapons on White's position. It was a suicide run, but without any cover to retreat to there wasn't much choice for them. White turned shifted his cannon arm to the right slightly and picked off another soldier before ducking behind the wall again. _Bang_. A third sniper shot, leaving only two Thilan troops remaining. White raised himself upward and took a second to solidify his aim before bringing down the last two soldiers, one shot obliterating a man's face while the second leaving a gaping hole in his right side. It didn't seem to matter where White hit them, anywhere the spheres from the cannon touch disintegrated instantly. Any contact with flesh or armor what wasn't energy resistant left a large hole.

White stared into the factory complex through the open gates, and the sight left him wide eyed. Three massive red tanks that looked like massive giant fortresses were slowly hovering their way outside the base. From his vantage point, the tanks looked incredibly cool. Their shape was somewhat blocky. The main hull of the tank was easily sixty feet long and fifteen feet wide, and almost resembled a breadbox. The machine was colored a mix of deep red and black with a large symbol of a skull in front of a sword visible on the front. On either side of the hull were miniature versions of the hull with large fin-like wings that continued to face outward for about a foot before sharply jutting upward a few feet above the height of the blocks they were attacked to. These fins, which may have just been for looks, were located at the very rear of these miniature side-hulls. These smaller hulls also appeared to cause the ground below them to shimmer like a desert horizon on a hot day. White guessed that was how the tank was hovering above the ground, the engines of the massive tank. In a similar relative position to the fins on the engines, a flattened circular disk stood tall on a slanted tower that was without a doubt the command center for the tank, and probably shielded considering how vulnerable it was.

White didn't notice anything too special about the massive fortress other than the various turrets embedded within the hull and the massive size of the vehicle. Of course dealing with one of the monstrosities was bound to be another task altogether, and somehow While didn't think his cannon was going to have the same effect on the tanks as it did with the gates and the soldiers.

"Hey White, we have a problem." The sound of Rose's voice over the communication line drew White's attention away from the tanks.

"Other than the tanks headed our way?" White chimed with sarcastic cheerfulness.

"Yeah, other than that. Apparently a good thirty guys came out of an entrance on the west side of the factory and are about to flank you." _Dammit, as if there weren't enough problems to worry about._

"Alright I'm pulling out to go deal with the soldiers, Rose I'm counting on you to help guide me here." White lifted his rock cannon back through the window and made his way out of the building and headed westward. Unlike a lot of FPS or MMO games that White had played in the past, BRSO lacked any kind of radar system. It was completely up to you to know how many enemy troops there were, where they were located, and how fast they were moving. This one fact left White nervous as he navigated his way deeper into the ring of buildings that surrounded the factory complex, his right arm tense and ready to shot at anything that moved his direction.

"Careful White, I can only see you about half the time the way you're weaving through buildings like that." Rose's warning didn't come as a surprise to White, as that was part of his plan. Anywhere Rose could see him, it was more than likely a Thilan soldier could too.

"Just keep an eye on where the enemy is moving." White ordered as he rounded a street corner, coming face to face with two Thilan soldiers. His Guardian body reacted almost on instinct, the cannon in his arm slamming hard into the right one before snapping back across, stopping right in front of the second and shooting his head off at point-blank range.

The resulting graphical effect of the man without a head made White want to puke for a brief moment before managing to choke the feeling down. It took a few deep breaths to remind White that this was just a game, but at the same time the game was the most realistic game that he had ever seen.

Ignoring the bodies of the two soldiers, White pressed onward, weaving through half broken buildings and scattered furniture whenever he could. Every once in a while he would spot a pair of soldiers running through the streets or searching through buildings and quickly pick them off before backtracking the way he came or repositioning himself to kill anyone who thought it would be a good idea to follow the cannon shots.

In the course of forty minutes White had managed to pick off twenty of the Thilan soldiers thanks to this hit and run style. He had executed it flawlessly, without even being shot at once since the opening skirmish by the main gates of the complex. The operation was going well, too well. White was ducking behind a couch that looked like it had been attacked by a pack of wild dogs when he heard DJ's annoyed voice.

"Hey White, whenever you're ready to create that distraction! The alarm bells aren't ringing over here!"

"Well sorry if it's a little hard to create a massive distraction with only two people!" White hissed back in a whisper. White slowly lifted himself until he could see just over the top of the shredded furniture. Walking down the street were four Thilan soldiers looking around with weapons raised, pointing a spotlight at wherever they aimed. _Shit, they're onto me._ White thought, more annoyed than concerned.

"We're going to need a new plan White. The pair of you picking off troopers isn't a big enough threat." White hated to admit it, but Winston had a point. Even with him and Rose picking off infantry, it wasn't enough of a threat to give Winston and DJ a big enough opening. Then White heard Rose shout out a warning.

"White you have incoming; two assault tanks have left the base and are working their way over towards you!" White smiled, this is what they had been waiting for. It may not be all-out by the Thilan, but a few soldiers weren't a threat to his friends, especially since DJ was packing a chain gun that would rip apart the light-armored Thilan infantry.

"You wanted your go signal DJ, you got it." White said with a soft laugh. "Give them hell." Rising above the couch, raised his cannon until he was looking down the barrel, taking aim at a Thilan soldier and shooting off his head instantly. Reacting with the speed of an elite gamer, White adjusted his aim slightly and took out a second soldier before the remaining members of the squad realized where they were being shot at from and opened fire on White, but he had already rolled to his left. Well out of the way of the initial burst of energy bolts. White quickly bounced to his feet and ran through a door that was on the western side of the room, out of view of the soldiers.

"Yeah I don't know about that signal, we still don't hear alarm bells going off!" DJ retorted angrily.

Energy bolts whizzed around him as White continued running, not bother to shoot at targets that he couldn't see. The house he ran through was fairly small, and after only about fifteen feet he was jumping out a small window in what looked to be a torn-up bedroom. Landing softly on the grass below, White instantly raised his cannon and waited for the soldiers as they approached. The pair of red-armored Thilan's rounded the corner and barely had a chance to blink before they each had a new hole in their chest and dropped to the ground. White remained perfectly still, listening for the sound of footsteps of potential reinforcements.

"Has it ever occurred to you that the Thilan's might not even _use_ alarms? Get your asses inside and steal one of those tanks! Rose, how many have you managed to take out?" White asked, lowering his cannon and climbing back through the window.

"I've gotten six." Rose answered with an annoyed tone. "Sneaky little bastards are keeping to the shadows, how about you?"

"Twenty-four, which means that the only thing left to deal with, are the tanks." White leaned against the wall and noticed his energy sitting at twenty percent. It was the first time he had looked at the little yellow bar since his first night on BRSO. Right away White grew concerned, he didn't know what would happen when his Guardians energy reached zero, and he certainly didn't want to find out in the middle of a combat situation.

"So how do you plan on dealing with them?" Rose asked, drawing White's attention away from his energy concerns. After all, they still had a factory to blow up.

"The two of us aren't equipped to handle those tanks. Go ahead and change position so the Thilan can't get a lock on you, I'll see if I can sneak inside the western entrance and create a distraction that way."

"I hope you realize how crazy stupid that plan of yours is." Rose sighed.

* * *

_Winston_

Despite having received the go signal from White, Winston and DJ were forced to wait another twenty minutes before moving due to how much traffic was going back and forth in front of the exit. They weren't soldiers, but any movement to try and get to the fuel tower or a tank would have been suicide regardless.

The secret tunnel started from a door hidden behind a large rock and quickly dipped underground until it reached inside the factory. The tunnel itself was dark, damp, and probably had a terrible smell. Fainted paint on the concrete was barely visible in the dim light. The squeaking or rats could be heard ever so often if you stopped moving. The loud echo of footsteps tended to dissuade the small rodents from making an appearance.

At the end of the tunnel stood a large silver colored ladder, which placed you in a hidden closet that was inside of an equipment locker that was in the corner of one of the assembly rooms. The hidden passage was very well designed, and also painfully hard to find for anyone looking for it. Winston and DJ were at the door to the large equipment locker, looking out at the assembly line through the thin slits in the metal.

The whole place was a buzz of activity. Loud clangs of machinery echoed throughout the room. From what Winston could tell, it seemed like the Thilan workers wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. Even in the middle of being attacked they continued to work on the assembly line like nothing was going on. Winston realized that there was a possibility that they would still be here working when they set off the bomb.

"Alright Richston what's the plan?" DJ asked while continuing to scan the room, the new nickname caused Winston to give his friend an annoyed look. The brief silenced that followed led the Trooper to glace at the Assassin in confusion. "What?" Winston shook his head.

"It's nothing, forget it." Winston gave the room one last intense scan. From what he could see, which wasn't too much, there didn't appear to be any guards inside factory. At the very least it seemed like White and Rose had managed to draw the soldiers away from the inside of the complex. In reality, their best option was to leave the storage container and take their chances inside the base. But how could they play it so they wouldn't get caught?"

"You're taking too long! I'm not sitting here any longer!" DJ moaned loudly out of boredom before slamming his body against the door, forcing it to swing open with a loud crash. "Iiiiiit's DJStarswag, everyone come out with your hands up!" Immediately following DJ's declaration, the entire room was focused on them. Winston slapped his forehead and grimaced. He had forgotten that his friend couldn't handle standing around and thinking when someone else was having fun. Raising his pistol, Winston ran out of the closet and did another scan of the room, surprised to not find a single guard anywhere.

The room was small, leading Winston to believe they ended up in one of the smaller assembly line buildings. Small of course, was relative. The room was still large, easily over a hundred feet long and over twenty feet wide. Workers in pure white clothing stood on either side of a wide conveyer belt that moved along metal parts to who knows what. A lot of the workers that had been looking at Winston and DJ simply returned to their work, like they were completely uninterested in their new visitors.

"Alright what's with this place?" DJ asked, slinging his chain gun back over his shoulder. "No guards watching the assembly line, the workers don't even seem to care that we're here, and for a factory that builds tanks that are essentially mobile fortresses. Please tell me you see what's wrong with this picture."

"If I had to guess, I'd say that those workers aren't programmed to be aggressive. They'll just keep working on building those tanks until we set off the bomb." Winston turned away from the workers and tapped DJ on the shoulder, pointing to an exit to their left. "Come on, we shouldn't waste time. We need to find one of those tanks ASAP."

The pair left the assembly line and its workers behind and began navigating their way through the facility. There wasn't any kind of a map for Winston to follow, and while he knew the route to the fuel tower, he didn't know the layout well enough to point them towards the tanks. Winston moved quickly, keeping himself light on his feet and his pistol raised in case they bumped into anyone. But as they moved through the metal hallways of the factory the entire place seemed deserted.

"Left." DJ declared at the sixth split in the hallway.

"The last time you said left we ran into a dead guy who was hanged." Winston noted dully as he kept a careful eye out for visitors, trying not to recall the image.

"I can't be wrong all the time can I?" Winston rolled his eyes as DJ's rhetoric question and started down the only other option, straight ahead. "Hey, what are you doing?" DJ asked, his whisper coming out as a low hiss. Winston didn't reply, but continued onward. Rounding a corner to the right at the end of the hall, the assassin walked down another short hallway before entering a large room. Two people in long red coats rounded on him.

"Hey what are you doing in he -" Winston shot both men in the head before either one could finish pulling their weapons, collapsing to the floor in a lifeless heap. DJ rested his freshly drawn gun on his massive shoulder.

"I _told_ you we should have gone left! We'd better backtrack; we have no idea how long White and Rose have." DJ turned around to run back down the hallway, but Winston stopped him by grabbing his arm when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. "What is it, we gotta go!" Winston walked over to the left side of the room, navigating around a large blue table with a bunch of documents on it.

"DJ, grab those papers for me if you can." Winston said, stopping in front of a computer that appeared to have some kind of message on it.

"How do you expect me to carry them? I don't exactly have pockets in this outfit!" DJ replied tartly.

"Grab them and stuff them in my bag. This is the Thilan command center." Grumbling in a low voice that Winston couldn't make out, he heard the trooper start shuffling papers as Winston holstered his pistol and began reading.

_Message received at 5:13am_

_General Lervis,_

_ As per the request of the Emperors Hand, your army is herby ordered to terminate the Zana complex and advance on a large Sanctuary weapons shipment coming from the southwest before launching a full scale attack on the Zina stronghold. Details for the attack have been provided. Remember that surrender or retreat will be regarded as treason. May your conquest be swift and victorious, and long live Origin._

Winston's eyes widened and he could feel his chest tighten as he realized what was going on. _Holy crap, no wonder there's nobody defending this place, they're all about to attack the Blue Rift base!_ As quick as he could, Winston slammed down on his F1 key.

"White, can you hear me?" His voice was as level as always, but Winston could feel himself talking faster than normal.

"Of course I can Winston! What's taking you guys so long, I've almost broken into the base!" From the joking edge in White's voice, he could tell that his friend was having fun freely picking off Thilan soldiers.

"I thought you said this place was crawling with Thilan troops, but from what I can see there's hardly anyone!" _Well at least White and Rose are having fun._ Winston sighed inwardly to himself after Rose's excited comment. On a hunch, Winston began scanning through the computer as he relayed his information.

"Listen guys, DJ and I managed to find the command center for the complex, and it looks like one of the commanders forgot to delete their orders."

"I don't like where this is going." DJ said grimly from behind Winston.

"The Thilan army that was stationed here has been ordered to attack a weapons shipment arriving in twenty minutes." Winston continued. "On top of that they plan on overloading the fuel tower to completely destroy this facility." There was a brief moment of silence that hung in the air before White's voice filled the empty comms.

"Alright change of plans then. Forget planting the bomb, take a tank and come pick us up. We need to get over to the train station as fast as we can."

"There's no way were going to get back to the station in twenty minutes!" Rose protested.

"You're right." White admitted. "But hopefully we can get back there in time to make a difference. No way am I going to sit this one out. Rose, try and meet up with me by the west entrance. If there really aren't that many defenders left inside of the base then we can storm the place and meet up with Winston and DJ." Winston felt a force push down on his bag. Turning his head, he spotted DJ slamming the papers into his bag. That's when Winston realized that DJ didn't have a large metal box.

"Yo DJ, where's the bomb?"

"I left it back in the secret passageway until we had the tank secured." DJ answered without stopping his paper shoving. Winston's initial reaction was a mix of shock and anger, but it was quickly replaced with a sigh and a sense of disappointment. Doing something like this was one-hundred percent DJ, but it wasn't like Winston could complain. DJ's reckless style hadn't failed them yet.

"Alright, you grab the bomb, I'll backtrack and get the tank started up." Winston felt the pressure on the bag disappear and he turned around to find DJ looking down at him with one raised eyebrow.

"How do you plan on driving one of those things? I don't recall you putting any points into vehicle proficiency."

Winston shrugged. "I'll figure it out as I go. Not like we have much of a choice anyway." Re-drawing his weapon, he started back down the hallway with DJ on his heels until they split at the intersection not too far down the hall. Winston stopped briefly and watched as DJ raced down the hallway, his massive gun out and ready to tear into anyone who got into his way. Winston's first thought was how reckless DJ was, but he didn't think of it in a bad way. In fact, it was probably a good thing that Squad Keeper had someone that wasn't afraid to act first and think about consequences later. It kept them moving at a rapid pace that few could run with without any mistakes.

Normally, Winston would have liked to go at a slower pace when making his way through an unknown part of an enemies base, even if it was deserted. This time, the assassin didn't have that luxury, and raced down a long hallway, watching for any signs of movement both in front of and behind him. His habit of awareness allowed him to spot a man who appeared to be a ranking official exiting his office behind up, pistol in hand. He was shot in both the chest in the head before he even laid eyes on Winston.

After another hundred feet later Winston ran through an open door and ended up in a colossal sized hangar, big enough to easily fit at least a dozen commercial jets. Looking around, Winston found the hangar abandoned except for three people climbing around on the top of a large red fortress. There wasn't time for Winston to run straight at the tank, he'd be spotted in an instant and the group would have time to take shelter inside the massive vehicle. He needed another way to get to them.

Looking above him, Winston found exactly what he needed. Directly above him, there was a platform about twenty feet above him that ringed around the walls of the hangar, probably used to do work on the highest most points on the tanks. About halfway on the platform in the back of the hangar was a large crane that stuck out from the ring, and the edge of it reached right above the three men.

Spotting the ladder in the back corner closest to him, Winston began making his way across the massive hangar, making sure to put himself behind any objects that would prevent the men from seeing him. The process seemed to take forever, and he knew that none of his companions would have been patient enough to pull it off. It was why he ended up being the assassin for the group. He was the only one who could sit still for longer than five minutes.

By the time Winston did eventually reach the ladder, he could feel the time constraint of the fuel tanks creeping up on him, and he knew that he needed to move fast. He had no idea how long he had until they blew, seconds? Minutes? An hour? He didn't have any time to lose, he had to climb, and fast. Even if there was a great risk of getting caught at this point he needed to move.

When Winston was about ten feet up there was a series of loud bangs that echoed through the hangar, and he was so surprised that he nearly lost his grip. The assassin watched as all three men dropped dead and slid off the tanks, and right away Winston slid down from the ladder and ran towards the tank, stealing a few brief moments to look at it before White and Rose caught up to him.

"What the hell was taking you so long Winston?" White asked with an amused tone. Winston narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"You didn't have to intervene, I was about to take care of them." Now it was Rose's turn to be annoyed, although Winston could tell that her annoyance was more good-natured and was leaning towards a teasing attitude.

"Come on Winst, did you really expect me to sit there while I had the easiest shot of my life? Besides we're still counting on you to pilot this thing!" Rose placed a hand on Winston's shoulder, and the assassin took in a deep breath. _There's no point in letting my pride take over. Besides, getting out of here is more important than my kill count._ Knowing that there would be time to pull ahead of his friends score later, he turned to the tank.

"Right, follow me." While waiting for the go signal, Winston had taken the time to read up on the mobile fortresses. The official name for these behemoths was the Thilan Assault Tank, a TAT. With multiple automatic turrets, a shield for the command center, one massive plasma rock cannon, four hover-engines, and two manned gun towers, the TAT was a "girl that end any argument with looks alone" according to DJ. Looking at the war machine up close, it was hard for Winston to disagree.

Leading his companions behind the tank, Winston found the back entrance to the TAT. A large section of the back wall was lowered to the ground, acting as a ramp for anyone who wanted to get inside.

"Ladies and Gentlemen your carriage awaits." Winston bowed with his arms extended towards the TAT, inviting his friends to take a look inside.

"A carriage with guns on it," Rose observed. "Now _that_ is an idea that I can get behind." The trio walked up the ramp with Winston quickly following. The clang of boot on metal could be heard echoing through the tank. The vehicle was tall enough to stand up in, the walls for three feet upon entering the vehicle lined with shelves filled with all kinds of armor and weaponry. White whistled, clearly impressed by what they were dragging in.

Winston weaved his way past his companions and dashed toward the front of the TAT, nearly tripping over the six inch drop between the rear compartments. _That would have led to a splitting headache._ Winston noted after he had managed to duck under the lowered roof of the driver's seat. Sitting down in a low to the ground chair, a HUD appeared in front of him. Taking a moment to figure out where everything was located, Winston grabbed the two control sticks in front of him and pushed them forward. There was no lurch or signs of movement.

"Yo Winston, we need to get moving!" White called from the rear compartment. Winston was at a loss. His manual was useless, and he didn't have the slightest clue as to where to get started. He might as well have been trying to cure cancer.

"I'm working on it!" Winston was afraid to hit any random buttons or throw some of the switches on the dash above him, he didn't know what might cause an overload. Another five minutes passed and the TAT still wasn't moving.

"Winston, I hate to tell you this but we may not have a lot of time left here!" Rose shouted in a panicked anger. Winston looked around desperately, hoping for some kind of epiphany.

"Heyo, is our Winston having issues?" Winston recognized the voice of DJ echoing from the very back of the TAT.

"This isn't the time DJ!" Winston shouted back. There was the loud crash of an object being set down carelessly and the loud boom of approaching footsteps behind him.

"Alright Richston move over, lemmie give it a shot." Winston didn't move and kept scanning over the controls. He _really_ wasn't in the mood for his friends jokes. "_Seriously_ man, give me the wheel!" Winston realized that DJ wasn't kidding. Getting out of the chair, Winston stepped out of the little hole and watched the trooper sit down and immediately start punching in controls and flipping switches. In almost no time at all, the TAT was off the ground and heading for the exit to the facility. Everyone in the group was dumbfounded.

"How in the world did you know what to do?" Winston finally asked.

"You should know mister handbook." DJ teased with a smile on his face. "The Trooper class comes with the ability to pilot any and all types of vehicles, ally or enemy."

"But the manual comes with instructions on how to pilot almost every vehicle!" Winston protested. "No one from Blue Rift has ever been in the driver's seat for one of these things, so how do you know what to do?" Winston saw DJ shrug.

"I don't really. I just know what switches do what because of how they're labeled. My Guardian just pieced it together from there."

"Why didn't you mention this to us before! We wouldn't be cutting it so close if you had just told us you could pilot this thing!" Winston hissed.

"Like I said, you should have known I could do this, and I like surprising you guys!" Winston couldn't believe DJ's relaxed attitude. He knew that dying once in this game got them kicked out, and he was laughing his head off about his so called surprise!

"You know you have all these tricks up your sleeve but you still can't seem to pick up a girlfriend." Rose commented, walking forward until she stood to Winston's left.

"Shut up Rose! Now that I have this baby I'll get all the chicks in the game!"

"Because girls dig a tough guy driving a tank right?" White asked rhetorically. "Come on man, if that were true you'd have Rose around your finger right now."

"WHAT?" Rose rounded on White. "Like hell I would fall for a wimpy guy driving a virtual tank!" White grinned.

"My point is proven."

"Bro, just because I can't pick up girls in the real world doesn't mean I couldn't pick up an NPC or a Keeper. I bet Black Rock Shooter would fall into my arms the second she were to see me." Winston rolled his eyes at DJ's over-the-top fantasy.

"I doubt even virtual girls would fall for that man." White sighed.

By this point DJ had driven the tank out the front gates and back towards the train station. Apparently the factories automated defenses registered their TAT as a friendly, so they were allowed to escape easily without incident. The tank was shockingly slow, only maxing out at about twenty miles per hour. At this rate it was going to take them a while to reach the station. Thankfully, the two TATs that had been hunting White earlier were no longer sitting by the front entrance. Winston guessed that they had been ordered to pull out so they wouldn't be caught in the explosion. As to where they were now, it didn't matter. Their escape had been clean and simple, and Winston wanted a break before the next shitstorm.

About five minutes after the TAT rolled out of the complex a massive explosion rocked the tank. No one asked what it was, everyone already knew. Their mission had been a total success, but now they needed to hurry over to the train station and stop the Thilan army.

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, 1st Month, 23__rd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Khua: Zina Train Station_

_Time:__ Roughly 1:42 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

Black vowed to repay her debt to Hans after her mission was complete. Not only had he managed to smuggle her onto the Accelerator Train, but he had informed her which box held a hovercycle which would allow her to reach the Zana complex in less than an hour. At long last she was about to get some answers about her sister.

For some reason Black had found the humming of the train's engines calming, and she had taken the chance to relax and read one of the books that Sy had given her. Black sat inside one of the cargo cars on top of a stack of metal containers. Thanks to Hans, the container that he had used to smuggle Black onto the train hadn't been perfectly sealed, allowing Black to get out and stretch her legs rather than be cramped up in a small box for two hours. A small rusted out lamp swung from the roof, providing a small amount of light. It wasn't very reliable but it was enough for the senior Keeper to enjoy her reading in peace.

_Sammy couldn't really understand why, but she had no desire to kill the man that had been hunting her down ever since the war began. He was responsible for killing her brother, her mother, and her grandfather. Yet she couldn't bring herself to kill him, there was something about him that warned her against the action._

Black had read that passage over and over again, and she couldn't understand it. The man that had been hunting Sammy in her book was responsible for killing her family, all so he could be the one to save his country. It was a situation all too similar to Black's, except she knew she wouldn't have the same weakness. The second she saw that Guardian or any member of the council, she wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Somewhere in the back of Black's mind she knew that the white Guardian had nothing to do with her sister. He had merely been the one to inherit her equipment. But something about that felt wrong, like it didn't truly belong to him. _Is that any reason to kill him?_ The voice in her mind asked. Black couldn't answer, all she knew is that her emotions and thoughts became muddy and unclear whenever she thought about the subject. _It doesn't matter. I'll figure out what to do when I find him._

Out of nowhere Black was thrown to the side of her pillar of boxes. She landed hard on her right side, and thought herself lucky that none of the boxes full of heavy equipment had landed on her. She felt the train come to a screeching halt. Every bone in her body was on full alert, and she knew that the train was being attacked, and that meant that it was no longer safe inside the car. Black stowed her book back in her jacket and pushed herself to her feet.

Since accelerator train cargo cars always locked from the outside, Black had no choice but to take out her rock cannon and blast a massive hole in the side wall of the car. When the dist finally cleared, giving Black a clear view of the outside, she was shocked to find a massive Thilan army headed right for her. Her first thought was panic, had they found out that she had snuck onto the train and were out to capture her? No, Black realized quickly. There was no way that the Thilan had any knowledge of the Keeper project. It was more likely that they were after the train itself, to destroy the supplies meant for the Sanctuary army. Normally, Black would put her personal mission on hold and engage the Thilans directly, but this was a lost battle. From what Black managed to see back at the Delesi station, this train had a pathetically small guard. It would have had a tough time stopping a small raiding squad let alone a large army.

Black quickly scanned the battlefield and realized that even hope for a clean retreat was out of the question. They were located in the wastelands just outside of Khua, a mere two miles from the train station. It was a fairly open battleground, meaning that the eight TAT's that the Thilan's had with them were going to tear apart both the train any anyone trying to run. If that didn't do it, there were a number of heavy troopers and countless infantry. The one thing that Black was thankful for was the lack of Thilan Speedbikes, meaning that she had a shot at getting away alive.

A bright light caught Black's attention, and she immediately recognized the glow as the giant rock cannon that served as the primary weapon of the TAT. The fact that the Thilan's had rock cannon technology came as no surprise to Black, after all they were the ones who came up with it in the first place. Jumping hard to her right, Black sailed a good twenty feet away from where she had been standing, which was now incinerated thanks t a massive red beam that obliterated the train car.

Black ran back alongside the tracks of the hovercar, headed for the last cargo car in the set while keeping any eye out for any more TAT blasts. Each of the cars was colored differently, a silver gray for weapons and ammo, green for food and water, and black for heavy ordinance. It was a code that was swapped out every two weeks to keep the Thilan from figuring it out. Thankfully, the color coding was still the same from before she was turned into a council fighting machine, allowing her to identify which car she was looking for before the Thilans blew it away.

Lacking for time, Black blasted off the lock and threw the large sliding door open with all her strength. Inside were at least a dozen jet black Express Hornets, the newest and fastest hoverbike on Blue Rift. Black stowed her rock cannon and ran towards a locked case in the back of the room, pulling out her katana as she did so. Repeating the process of lock cutting, Black retrieved an access key from one of the hooks and climbed onto the bike closest to the entrance to the car. Swiping the card in front of the bike's instruments, the vehicle roared to life and lifted off the ground. Gunning the engine, Black torpedoed out of the car and plowed right into a Thilan soldier, throwing him backward.

Black didn't even give herself a moment to criticize herself on her lack of awareness of the infantry's position. Instead she spun the bike in a circle and pulled the trigger for the bike's forward guns, mowing down the small Thilan squad that had quickly surrounded her.

As Black brought herself upright again, more laser fire began flying past her from the large wave of infantry closing in on her. Black had hoped to find a few survivors of the initial attack and bring them with her to safety, however with a massive wave of Thilan soldier having reached the train she realized that was no longer possible. That left her with the last part of her plan.

Get out of there, and fast.

For Black, there was no honor in death. Despite the number one rule being 'Kill all Thilans," there was another rule that her instructor had given her. _"Never fight against impossible odds."_ Spinning the Hornet around, Black retreated around the tail end of the train and raced away from the Thilan army, headed in a direction perpendicular to the city. The train offered a little cover, but after narrowly getting hit by another TAT rock cannon blast, she pulled away, speeding away from flying lasers and rocket fire.

Then after a good twenty seconds, it stopped. Black turned her head around to find that the Thilan army was growing smaller and smaller. It was obvious that they had no intention of spending resources tracking down one girl on a Hornet, especially when they had no means of catching her. Then Black winced as an unexpected surge of pain crashed through her, coming from her left leg.

Looking down, Black realized that the wound on her left leg, which had only just started healing, had not only been reopened, but she had been shot in the lower part of the same leg as well. _Crap._ Was her initial thought, the second was a question. How in Blue Rift was she going to get this patched up? She had no medical supplies, was in the middle of a warzone, and if she didn't treat it soon, it was bound to get infected. Her healing abilities were great, but she wasn't immortal. The wounds, especially the new one, were bound to be infected in a wasteland like Khua, and there wasn't a populated city within a day's drive. There was no way she was going to pass up her chance to find Whitestar.

That's when the plan began to form in her mind. A team of four Guardians were bound to have some kind of medical supplies, supplies she could use to patch up her leg and get some answers out of Whitestar at the same time. Her leg wasn't in the greatest of conditions, but she had dealt with worse in the Obroseon arena and in training. Black was confident in her ability to take them on. Turning her Hornet towards the city, she began her search for her sister's copy.

* * *

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua_

_Time:__ Roughly 11:35pm P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

It had been a little over an hour since White and the rest of Squad Keeper had left the smoking crater that was Thilan Factory Zana. In his eyes, White viewed the mission as much more than a success. Not only had they completed their objective to blow up the Thilan factory, but they didn't have to use the bomb that the Sanctuary army gave them, they stole a TAT, which had never been done before, and discovered plans to attack a supply train and firebase Zina.

Unfortunately, considering that they were over an hour into their trek, White had concluded that there was no way that they would reach the supply train in time. So the group had decided to make their way back to Zina to hand over what they knew to the general. Sadly, navigating the city with a TAT was much harder than it looked, and they were still at least another ten minutes away from the base.

Thankfully, the group had used that time to figure out how to operate their new toy. They found out that the command center, accessible from a series of rungs attached to a slanted shaft that led upwards, had a radar that could pick out both ally and enemy forces, could issues orders throughout the vehicle, commanded the automated defenses, and controlled a giant rock cannon that could blow anything on Blue Rift to bits. That's where White was standing now. Rose and Winston were on the two turrets that were embedded into the side of the command tower, waiting for a target to cross their path. Those two turrets were the only ones that could be controlled manually, and would be very helpful if the Thilan decided to throw any kind of jamming device in their way.

DJ was, of course, down in the driver's seat, which was the only thing on this bucket of bolts that White _couldn't_ control from the command tower. He couldn't even turn off communications from that part of that tank. _Why does this thing even _have_ internal communications? It's not like the Thilan's need to talk to each other._ So White and the rest of the team were forced to listen to bad pickup lines, terrible jokes, and hear all about DJ's fantasies from the first minute they were on the road.

"Hmm, hey Winston could you come down here and give me your manual?" DJ asked with a cheerful tone.

"What for." Winston replied in a bored tone.

"I need to look up the best restraunt in Obroseon. When I finally _do_ get one of those Keepers to go out with me, I want to take them someplace classy."

"You'd probably have better luck taking them to a boxing ring." White commented sarcastically. "That way they'd have a chance to hit you without doing any lasting damage when you insulted them."

"That's a great idea! A boxing match! I wonder what other kinds of sporting events there are in the city."

"Oh. My. God. DJ could you shut up for five minutes!" Rose shouted. "We really don't need to hear about your perverted fantasies!"

"Oh those weren't even close to-"

"Oooookay that's enough of that." White cut in quickly before DJ could go any further with his hormonal train of thought.

"What? I wasn't going to say anything bad!" DJ whined. White rolled his eyes.

"It's the thought that counts DJ." Winston said with a sigh of relief. "In this case, it's the thoughts that don't exist. You follow?"

"Fine, fine." DJ sighed. "But none of you are invited to the wedding!" Snickers from the rest of the squad barely managed to squeak through the microphones. There was no way DJ was getting one of the Keepers to date him.

"Somehow DJ, I think we can all live with that." Rose replied, her mood clearly better that it had been a moment ago.

White turned back to the large projection in front of him, showing a map of the area surrounding the TAT. For the last hour it had been totally blank without a hint of trouble. But a blinking red dot headed right for them caught White's eye. His first thought when he saw the dot was a surprised panic, but then he remembered that the colors were reversed. Because they had hijacked an enemy's tank, red meant good and blue meant bad.

During their hour long drive, Winston had figured out how to tune the TAT's radio to Sanctuary comm. channels, allowing White to let anyone who got close to them that they were very much _not_ Thilan and that they were friendly. Disabling the auto-turrets, which had yet to be configured to shoot at Thilan troopers instead of Blue Rift soldiers, White pressed a few buttons on the glowing panel in front of him to open a communication line with the approaching Sanctuary scout.

"Good evening Blue Rift Sanctuary! Designation Fallen Swag Star Business. We've completed our mission and have brought you guys a lovely little present!" White paused and waited for the Sanctuary scout to give them a reply, but instead a notification popped up on the projection that the vehicle was an enemy, (no surprise as it belonged to the Sanctuary army) and had been identified as a Hornet class hoverbike. That itself wasn't really a surprise to White, but what did catch him off guard was that the bike was shooting at them!

"Oh come on, could you at least wait until we give this thing a paint job before you start shooting at it!" White shouted over the open channel before closing it and giving a sigh to his friends. "Did I say it wrong?"

"No you said it right, but uhh, you may wanna check who's on that bike White." Based on his tone, DJ sounded stunned and _very_ surprised. _Who could be on that bike that would be a supr… OH MY WORD._ White quickly pulled up a zoomed in visual on the bike and saw a familiar pig tailed teenage girl wearing all black with a rock cannon attached to her back. Only one person on Blue Rift matched that description.

"Would someone _please _explain why Black Rock Shooter is trying to kill us?" DJ demanded, his voice filled with annoyance.

"Did she not hear the transmission we sent to her?" Rose wondered as Black whizzed by the TAT.

"No she heard it." Winston said. "But remember what happened back at the arena last night? She locked eyes with White and fired a shot right at him."

"That's right! So wait, does she think that White did something to her sister? That's crazy!" Rose exclaimed.

"We've stumbled across the strangest event ever." White muttered to himself as he reopened the communication channel with the Keeper. "Yo Black, we know it's you. Uhh… kinda wondering why you're shooting at us. If it has something to do with your sister I'm willing to talk about it." Another round of energy blasts impacted the hull of the TAT. From the information flowing through the projection, the Hornet didn't seem to be doing a lot of damage. _Great, so she has no intention of talking. Fine._ White slammed his index finger on a large button on the center of his panel, closing the channel with Black Rock Shooter.

"So what now?" Rose asked. "Do we shoot her?"

"WHAT?" DJ roared. "No way, no killing my girlfriend!" The sound of Rose groaning echoed the annoyance that surged through White, but at the same time the Trooper had a point.

"DJ is right on this one Rose, we can't kill Black." White explained quickly. "We're called Squad Keeper for a reason."

"Alright fine, what's the plan then?" Rose asked with an edge in her voice. White began explaining the plan flowing through his mind.

"Alright, Rose, Winston, the three of us will get out of the TAT and deal with Black Rock Shooter on foot. Our goal is to try and knock her out. DJ, you get to come up to the command tower and keep an eye out for any unexpected company."

"What! Why do I have to miss out on all the fun?" DJ complained.

"You're a trooper. Do you really think you can enter a fight _without_ killing her?" White asked rhetorically. DJ didn't reply, a sign that he caught onto White's point. "Alright let's go!" Turning around, White quickly descended down the rungs towards the lower compartment of the TAT, meeting up with Rose and Winston along the way. Within a minute they were running out of the large tank with weapons raised.

The first thing White realized is that it was too quiet. If there was a hovercycle running around and shooting up their tank, they would be able to hear it at this point, which meant that…

"Behind us!" White spun around and started shooting without hesitation, forcing Black to jump to her left and off the TAT, immediately firing a few shots right at White. _Oh crap!_ There wasn't any time to dodge, it was all happening too fast for him to keep up with. A trio of flaming blue rocks impacted White in the chest, or so he thought. The rocks exploded mere inches away from White's body, sending a wave of dark gray smoke to briefly cover the squad.

"White!" Rose shouted in panic.

"I'm fine, apparently the jacket I got has some kind of special barrier." White reasoned. "Kept me alive there." The smoke dissipated enough for White to get a clear view of the surrounding area. They were standing in the middle of an intersection somewhere in the thickest part of the city. Tall skyscrapers that looked like they had been hit with numerous rockets surrounded them. Rubble looted the streets, and the TAT sat at their backside. There were so many places where Black could have fled in those few seconds that he didn't know where to expect her next attack to come from.

"Alright so why didn't she finish us off there?" Winston asked. "She knew exactly where we were, she had the perfect shot."

"No way BRSO would be _that_ cruel." Rose replied with a matter-of-fact tone. "Even unfair games have limits." But something about that bugged White. The way Black moved, the way she reacted when she saw White, nothing about it seemed like it was programming. It was hard to put a finger on, but it seemed like Black Rock Shooter moved with a _purpose_ rather than just following code. _Is it even possible that an A.I. has developed inside of a game? _A.I. or no, White knew one thing for certain.

"She's not an NPC." White said suddenly, catching the attention of his companions.

"I'm sorry what?" Rose asked in bewilderment. White turned and gave the sniper a hard look.

"She's not an NPC. Think about it, the Guardians replaced the Keepers, so we're supposed to be more powerful. What person would recklessly attack outnumbered and overpowered?"

Rose's eyebrows narrowed. "Nice logic, but then why would Black attack us in the first place?"

"Because of White." Winston concluded. "I mean look at him, he has her sisters cannon and jacket. What person wouldn't want answers? And if you've been trained to fight since the second you were born…"

"The only way you know how to talk to strangers is to fight them." Rose finished. "Alright fine, but how does that prove she's not an NPC?"

White shook his head. "I don't know. But either way we have to treat this like we're playing this PvP. Black is going to be unpredictable, so we have to play that way too. Winston, escort Rose somewhere where she can get a good shot off on Black's leg or something. Winston, after you're done getting Rose situated try and flank around and knock her out. Remember that the goal _isn't _to kill her. GO!" On White's mark, Rose and Winston took off behind the TAT, heading for one of the abandoned buildings.

Common sense told White that he and Black should be an even match for each other. She had more experience but he had better technology backing him. Normally, experience would win in these kinds of fights, but White wasn't trying to win. He just needed to stall until his companions were in position.

White listened carefully. Since he couldn't see Black Rock Shooter, he would have to listen for her. Any twitch or disturbance of a rock and he would be able to pinpoint her location. But as the seconds passed, White realized that there was no way someone with as much training as her was going to make that kind of mistake. _Plan B then._

"So what is it you want?" White shouted to the rubble. "You've come out this far just to find me, and I have no idea why. All I know is that you want to kill me for having your sisters cannon. That you can't stand the thought of the Guardians, who stole your place and essentially forced the Keepers to fight one another, using the tools that belonged to someone you were close to! Am I right, or are you attacking us for another reason?" There was a moment of silence which White let hang over the destroyed battlefield. "Well?"

That's when Black appeared from behind a pillar, cannon pointed directly at White.

"My goal isn't to kill you." Black responded coldly, but somehow filled with choked back emotion. "My goal is to show you that you are unworthy to wield the weapon of a Keeper!" White tensed and rolled to one side to dodge the shots aimed at where he had been a second before. _So her goal isn't to kill us for being unworthy. _White realized. _It's to defend her sisters honor!_

* * *

_Black_

From the second she received the transmission from the Guardians Black knew it was Whitestar and his crew. The Zana complex was the only factory within a hundred miles that could produce a TAT. Right away her emotions had switched off and her mind was focused only on her objective. But that's where things became unclear for Black. What _was_ her goal? One of her objectives was to secure medical supplies for her leg, but what would she do with Whitestar? Did she need to kill him? Incapacitate him? _Focus on winning the fight._ Her mind told her. _Worry about details later._

So that's what she did. Drawing out Whitestar and the rest of his team, and dodging his initial attack had all been planned by Black. She had them right where she wanted them, and then she hesitated. For the first time in her life Black had hesitated to pull the trigger. So instead of standing in the open and looking like a fool ready to be shot, she ducked behind a pillar of a broken down corner store, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And that's when Whitestar had started talking. His words presented an air of truth to Black. Yes, she did want to kill Whitestar for possessing the cannon that belonged to White Rock Shooter. But at the same time she didn't want to kill someone who she shared a common enemy with. They were both created to fight the Thilan Empire, but more than that she remembered something that the Gunsmith Riho had said back in Obroseon. _"…Good group of kids, they didn't seem particularly happy about what they saw in the arena during your little free for all."_ They didn't think the Keepers were just bodies thrown at each other to amuse the population of Blue Rift, and if they did they didn't like it. They were on her side, if not allied with her directly. She _couldn't_ kill them. They were more than innocent, they were after the same thing she was.

"My goal isn't to kill you." Black shouted coldy at Whitestar, revealing herself from behind this pillar and taking aim at the Guardians legs. "My goal is to show you that you are unworthy to wield the weapon of a Keeper!" Doing a double take on herself, Black re-purged all sense of emotion now that her objective was clear and shot. The Guardian however, had anticipated her shot and rolled to the right. Readjusting her aim, she fired again, this time aiming for where she expected White to roll. Her aim was dead-on, and Whitestar exploded in a cloud of black smoke. Black's eyes narrowed.

The black smoke was a flaw in her cannon. Normally when one of her flaming rocks hit flesh, they didn't explode in smoke, instead entering the body in a way that old projectile weapons would. The fact that her flaming rocks had exploded in this manner for a second time left her with no doubts, Whitestar had a shield that protected him from ranged attacks.

Using the smoke as cover, Black charged at the clouded Whitestar, stowing away her rock cannon and summoning Black Blade from her dimensional storage. With some idea of where her opponent was standing, Black charged through the smoke and prepared a horizontal strike, lunging forward and aiming for the chest the second Whitestar came into view. A loud clanging sound rang out as the Guardian blocked the strike by using his cannon as a shield.

Taking note of his reflexes, Black spun around and aimed a back kick straight at Whitestar's chest, sending him flying backward into a bunch of rubble. Sensing an opportunity, the Keeper charged forward towards the Guardian. Whitestar raised his cannon with a look of determination on his face and shot a few spheres of energy, forcing Black to slide to the right while continuing forward. The motion was so smooth it clearly caught the Guardian off guard, the move a result of over seventeen years of training. With her eyes locked on Whitestar, Black prepared her sword for a death blow that she intended to pull at the last second, a move to force her opponent to surrender.

However she was stopped a few feet away from her target by a sniper bullet impacting the ground in front of her. In less than two seconds, Black identified the location of the sniper coming from the third floor of a building on the left side of the TAT. In letting White's companions go, Black realized, she had set herself up to be a perfect target for the female sniper. Quickly correcting her mistake, she swapped Black Blade to her other hand and whipped out hr cannon before firing a series of flaming rocks at the Snipers location and briefly saw a figure disappear before the projectile exploded against the building.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw another few balls of energy fly towards her and, with only a fraction of a second to react, leaned her upper body backwards. The spheres sailed past her mere hairs away from her face. Using her backwards momentum, Black spun around before stopping with her cannon re-aimed at Whitestar, who was also now back on his feet with his cannon pointed at Black.

"So what now? I've got a sniper with a perfect shot, a shield that will block your attacks, and another two members of my team that could be anywhere." Whitestar did a good job of laying out the odds for Black, not that it mattered in her mind. Black didn't reply, she simply started thinking about how she was going to get out of the situation she had gotten herself into. These Guardians, despite being unprofessional in nature, were experienced killers. One wrong step and she would be joining her sister, and leaving her friends to be slaves.

White signed. "Look, we don't want to kill you either. In fact you being here could really help us out." Black felt a twitch of curiosity but it was drowned quickly like all her other emotions. "We want to free the Keepers from whoever is forcing them to fight each other. It doesn't matter if it's the Thilans or the Blue Rift Council, what's going on in that arena isn't right. I don't know what your relationship is with the other Keepers, but I'm asking if you would help us free them." Black considered the idea for a moment. This group of Guardians was asking if she would help them free her only family left. The offer was extremely tempting, and Black almost said yes, but one thing still remained.

"I cannot ally myself with those who insult the Keepers!" Black shouted before firing at Whitestar and leaping forward simultaneously. Using the smoke as cover, she ran past Whitestar into the building across the street from the sniper. This way, her chance of being ambushed by Whitestar's remaining two companions was a lot higher, but she was no longer at risk of having her head blown off from long distance.

Black worked her way through the building, keeping her footsteps light and her katana out. In close quarters combat like this, her rock cannon would do little good. At the moment she was crouched behind the counter of some kind of convenience store. Many of the shelves were toppled over and various products of all kinds were spilled across the floor. There was no chance anyone was going to make it through the room without alerting Black to their location. Hearing footsteps, Black tightened her grip on her blade and readied herself to jump over the counter when the footsteps stopped. A feeling of dread crashed over Black and she immediately spun around on the balls of her feet and swung her katana at the figure behind her.

Her blade locked with a knife about a foot in length. Quickly pushing backwards, Black jumped up and away from the assassin who had nearly succeeded in taking her life. She needed to find a way to retreat further into the building, there was no way she was going to win a fight pinned between the White Rock Cannon and a skilled assassin. If she could shoot at Whitestar's shield again then maybe she could use the cover to jump over the counter and make a break for the-

As soon as she landed from her jump backwards her left leg finally gave out. Black had completely forgotten the injury, but it came crashing back to her in a massive wave of pain. In the attempt to best Whitestar, she had pushed herself too far, and her leg could no longer support her weight. She crashed to the floor, her head slamming against something hard, probably the floor. The last thing she saw was the assassin lunging for her and the thought _goodbye._

* * *

**Ugh feels like my brain ran a marathon… Leave a comment below guys! Keeps me motivated :D**

**And no, I'm not sorry cliffhanger!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Instead of giving some crazy excuse I'll just say that summer vacation makes me want to tunnel vision on my main goals. If you're reading this right now, I thank you for sticking around after the supposed death of this fanfiction.**

* * *

**Comments on Chapter Seven:**

_**BlyeSkYes:**__ Amazing chapter! I'm really happy you found time to update this fanfic; the whole plot has great suspense and I love how at the end of most chapters, they are a little cliffy. You give every one of your characters their own personality, like DJ for example (He makes me laugh so much :'D ), and WhiteStar, who seems to be quick-minded and seems to try to see a way around things without causing too much damage._

_I REALLLLYYYYY love how you write Black Rock Shooter! I love how you can give her that cold and deadly appearance, and how you are able to write anything she does say (Cause like, y'know, she's kinda always mute cause she's that badass) in a way the Black Rock Shooter would actually speak to a person._

_I really look forward to the next chapter, that little cliff hanger has put me on edge! Keep up the good work and I look forward o reviewing in the next chapter! ;)_

Thanks for the review! Hopefully I could capture the characters again after three months!

_**Guest:**__ Omg Such a cliff hanger, please don't leave me hanging! Perfection so far, keep it up!_

This review is totally why I waited three months (JK)

_**Guest (2): **__Omg, the New and detailed plot of this is so cool! Almost cooler than the anime..._

_You know, this sounds weird, but I started to cry by the end of the second chapter._

Well I hate tooting my own horn here but BRSO definitely has a better plot than the anime did.

Not to slam the BRS anime either but its plot was kinda weak in my eyes. Might be because it was only eight episodes but…

Don't get me wrong, I 3 the BRS anime. ;)

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Cannon and Soul**

_Day 2_

_Date__: Saturday, January 22__nd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua, near Firebase Zina_

_Time:__ Roughly 11:43pm P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

White watched in shock as Black Rock Shooter's left leg gave out and her head slammed against the ground with an echoing thud. Winston had dived forward in an attempt to stop her fall but hadn't quite made it in time, instead stopping himself before he ended up crashing on top of the Keeper. For a brief moment time seemed to freeze. Just why had Black collapsed like that, was she sick? Was she about to die on them?

Time sped up again as the White noticed the wound on the back of Black's leg and how exhausted the Keeper looked. It seemed like she had been fighting constantly for the last two days. Holstering his rock cannon and leaping over the counter, he checked the fallen Keeper for signs of life, and let out a sigh of relief when he discovered that she was still breathing. _Thank goodness for that, DJ would kill me if he found out that I let his favorite die on him._

The plan had been to knock Black out cold, then get her to calm down and try talking to her again. Even though it was unexpected, the first part of the plan _was_ complete. White and the gang (especially Rose) wanted to ally themselves with the Keeper, and more than that White wanted to prove that he was worthy to use the equipment that had once belonged to White Rock Shooter. He realized that he didn't know exactly what happened to Black's sister. They didn't see her in the arena on the first night, and all they knew is that something happened, but even that was more inferred than actually said. _Don't tell me that White Rock Shooter is dead. _The possibility saddened White, and it explained why Black would be working so hard to get her sisters equipment back.

"Well?" Winston asked with a note of strain in his voice. White gave his friend a thumbs-up while keeping his eyes on Black Rock Shooter.

"Just hit her head." White replied with a sigh of relief. "Probably has a concussion though. We should take her back to the TAT and treat her, that leg especially. It looks bad."

"I'm not a doctor but are you sure it's safe to move her?" Winston asked before giving a sigh. "Then again we can't stay here without the Thilan locating our position."

"Hang on for a moment." White hit the F1 button on his keyboard. "Yo DJ, is there a stretcher in the rear compartment?"

"What do you think this thing is an ambulance?" DJ retorted sharply. "Wait, a stretcher? What the fuck did you idiots do to my girlfriend?" White slapped himself out of annoyance.

"Oh my god DJ please shut your mouth." Rose groaned. "So what happened down there? You guys weren't out of my sight for more than a minute."

"Black's injured. She has a gun wound on her leg that looks like it's gone untreated for a few hours. Her leg gave out and she banged her head pretty hard." White explained quickly. "We're not sure if it's safe to move her."

"Well don't ask me!" Rose said quickly. "I fell asleep in health remember?" DJ groaned, clearly getting impatient.

"What are you all talking about? It's just a damn concussion! Pick her up and carry here over here before I come over and do it myself!"

"Alright, alright!" White shouted back. "Just give us a few minutes. DJ, make sure we're ready to roll the second Winston and I get on board." White looked down at Black's limp body.

"So how do you want to play this?" Winston asked. White scratched the side of his head for a moment. In addition to bringing Black on board they also had to grab her rock cannon and katana. They just didn't have enough hands.

"Rose do you think you could swing by the building we're in and grab Black's weapons?" White asked.

"Yeah sure just give me a moment to put my sniper rifle away. It doesn't exactly fold you know." White nodded to himself.

"Alright, Winston you grab her legs and I'll grab her shoulders." Kneeling down, White grabbed Black's small shoulders, surprised that so much power and strength was packed into a small body. "Alright, on three. One, two, three!" The moment White said 'three' the pair slowly lifted, working on going up until both of them stood up straight.

"How do you plan on getting over the counter?" Winston asked. White turned his head around and mentally slapped himself. The counter they were standing behind had to be climbed over for the most direct route back to the TAT. Not wanting to try and climb over and risk dropping Black, White looked around for an alternate route.

"Ah, there, on your right." Winston followed White's directions and spotted what the Shooter had seen, an open doorway leading to an office that was a total mess. "Can you see a way we can get out from in there?"

Winston nodded. "Yes the office leads to that hallway behind you. We can get out that way." Slowly and cautiously, the pair began maneuvering themselves through the office and then out into the hallway. They were very careful to keep Black parallel to the ground and not drop her. A single mistake would cause further injury, or worse wake her up.

Rose passed them about halfway to the TAT, carrying the Black Rock Cannon and Black Blade, shouting for them to hurry up as the first echo's of battle began to erupt nearby. The Thilan had worked their way through the city and were attacking firebase Zina. _Dammit, we need to get over there!_ White thought to himself as he entered the TAT, waddling backwards with his grip firm on the Keepers shoulders.

"Careful please!" DJ cautioned as he motioned White and Winston backwards toward a bed that had been lowered from a hidden compartment in the roof. _Huh. This thing really is meant to be a massive movable fort._ The bed was lowered to about White's waist level, meaning that it wasn't going to be impossible to set Black down without causing further injury. Carefully, White raised Black's shoulders up while Winston placed her legs on the end of the bed. Slowly, the pair slid Black into place, making sure she was stable before everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"You do realize that she's going to try and kill us the second she wakes up right?" Rose gave White a hard stare, but he ignored it. Right now his only focus was on Black's bleeding leg and the sounds of battle nearby.

"Get the medical kit, you and Winston need to treat that leg ASAP." White turned away from Black and headed for the rungs that led to the TAT's command tower.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Rose asked in confusion.

"The Thilans have started attacking Firebase Zina, we need to get over there and take out those other TAT's before the Sanctuary army get's obliterated. DJ," The Trooper who was staring goo-goo eyed at Black turned his gaze towards White. "Obsess over your crush later, we have Thilans to kill and a broken city to save." The fire of battle returned to DJ's eyes and he gave White a thumbs-up and a wide grin.

"Let's show them whose boss." The pair of them ran in opposite directions. White climbed up the rung wall as fast as he could, sprinting for the flat projection screen as soon as he reached the top. White tapped a few buttons on the control panel and brought up the radar. Firebase Zina was less than a half mile away to the west, and the Thilan army was coming in hard from the south. White couldn't see a better opportunity to flank them. With an evil grin, White realized that the situation was going to end in a highlight reel staring Squad Keeper.

Assuming that the massive rock cannon was as powerful as he was meant to believe, there was the chance to kill multiple enemy TAT's in a single blast. What was great about this plan was that every single Thilan TAT was in a straight line formation going horizontally so they could all shoot their cannons at the base. _A sound plan though, with this you can see if an enemy is trying to flank you. Sadly it doesn't work if the guy flanking you is one of your own._

"Alright DJ, go left at the next intersection and straight for six blocks, then turn right." White ordered.

"Isn't that where the Thilan army is coming from?" DJ asked as the TAT lurched forward.

"Yes, but we're about to launch the laser brigade on their asses." White heard DJ laugh wildly as he realized what White had planned.

"Geez, this is why you're the White Mastermind! Your plans are crazy!" DJ managed to say while continuing to laugh.

"Wait you're not trying for one of your flank plays again are you White?" Rose cried out in protest. "Don't you remember how that worked out last time?"

"Stop worrying about how we're going to kick Thilan ass and start worrying about Black!" DJ retorted sharply. "Besides the last plan White came up with made us the most famous players in Wizardcraft!

"No, it almost got us and the rest of the guild killed in the process!" Rose shouted back, but White ignored Rose's protests. With any luck the Thilan would have no idea that they had stolen the TAT. That put them in the unique position to cause collateral damage and turn the battle in favor of the Sanctuary army and the teams of Guardians that were no doubt already engaged in combat. If they could line up their cannon correctly, there was the possibility of opening up a hole in the Thilan line that could lead to their defeat.

Yet despite how good the plan sounded on paper, there was no way it was going to be a walk in the park. Rose was right, the plan was insane and full of risks. White knew that they were only going to get one clean shot before their enemies figured out that they weren't one of them, so if White didn't aim the cannon perfectly, they'd end up with multiple enemy TAT's turning their own primary cannon's on them and be nothing but a pile of smoking ash – if even that - few seconds later.

Slowly, it dawned on White that he had failed to tune the TAT's radio to Sanctuary Army frequencies. Working quickly, White managed to get the TAT's communications tuned into the armies channel, and from what he was hearing, things sounded really bad.

"Holy shit another round of blasts incoming!"

"Stay calm and hold the line! Don't let a single Thilan trooper get through!" The voice sounded deep and rough, like it belonged to someone in their late fifties. White guessed that the voice belonged to General Caelus. The sound of a massive explosion and the whistle of a massive laser echoed in the room. White wanted to mute his sound to stop the screaming from coming through, but he needed to hear any information he could to keep up with what the army, and the other Guardians, were doing.

"Those Thilan tanks are ripping us apart!" A soldier screamed. _Damn, if only we had been able to destroy the factory a day earlier._ But White knew that was impossible. He and the rest of Squad Keeper had been sent out to destroy that tank factory right away, there was no way for them to know that most of the tanks had already been sent out to take out firebase Zina.

"Base shield is down to thirty percent! We can't take another wave of those TAT's!"

"Dammit, why aren't those Guardians dealing with them yet?" White sighed. It seemed that the General didn't realize that Guardians weren't gods. Their bodies, armor, and even shields were many times stronger than the average trooper, but even a decent amount of fire would be more than enough to kill them. Besides, only the most foolhardy of gamers would run right at a massive tank.

"They can't seem to get out of the park and into the city sir! When they try to cross the highway they're being cut down!" _A similar situation to what happened back at the factory._ White realized. _The Thilan's have the both the Guardians and the army pinned down._

"Yo DJ can we pick up the pace?" White asked with a worried tone. "It doesn't sound like the sanctuary army can hold out much longer."

DJ quickly huffed in annoyance. "I'm going as fast as I can man! Don't rush me unless you want to end up crashing into a skyscraper!"

"I thought you said you knew how to drive this thing?" Rose said with a note of frustration.

"I said my _Guardian_ knew how to drive this thing! As far as I'm concerned, I might as well have just started driving lessons!" DJ shouted in annoyance. "Hang on everyone, Thilan army next right!"

White quickly switched the radio from the Blue Rift channel back to the Thilan's frequency just in case they were contacted before they were in position to fire their cannon. They _were_ going in late to the fight after all. White kept an eye on a bar of energy on the right side of his holo-projection as DJ slowly made the turn. It sat at ninety percent and was slowly climbing. As expected for a weapon of mass destruction, the rock cannon on the TAT took a while to build up energy.

White let out a deep breath as they finished rounding the corner and came to a stop. For the first time White got a clear view of his enemy as the main cannon lifted out of the top part of the TAT's hull. The view was astonishing. Seven TAT's, all lined up on the same street and emitting a bright red light as they charged their rock cannons for another barrage. Near the massive tanks were countless armored infantry. Much more heavily armored and well equipped than the Guards he was taking out before. Several large trucks were letting out strange four-legged dog-like creatures that sprinted northward towards the Sanctuary base. He couldn't have hoped for an easier target.

Slowly moving his finger across a window, White aimed the rock cannon at the line of TATs, more specifically at their own rock cannons. Since the TAT's command tower was supposedly heavily shielded, it made more sense to instead take out the heavy weapons hammering on the base. Off to the right side of White's control pannel was a large holographic button that began flashing red and white. White checked the energy levels of the TAT's rock cannon and grinned when he noticed that it was fully charged. _Cowabunga!_ White thought as he brought his fist down on the button.

"MAF six-one-nine please identify, you are not scheduled to be active." The sound of the unfamiliar voice stopped White a second before his closed fist sent the Thilan troops to hell. He grin widened as he realized that not only were the Thilan's clueless to the idea that the tank wasn't under their control, but that he had the perfect opportunity to mess with them. Clearing his throat, White pressed a button and began speaking in a loud, joyous voice.

"This is the _Liberator._ Confirming that we are here to kick some ass." White said with a large smile, loving the thought of messing with the enemy.

"MAF six-one-nine please send your identification code or prepare to be destroyed." White sighed in disappointment at the no-nonsense tone of the operator. _Guess the Thilan have been through this once before._

"Alright fine be that way. You wanna know what my ID is? Well here's my ID, suuuuuuuck eeeeeeeeeet!" White slammed his fist on the flashing red button.

The TAT rocked backwards as the cannon fired, launching a massive beam of red energy right at the line of Thilan tanks. In under a second, every single enemy TAT had lost their rock cannon and had suffered a few secondary explosions. The enemy TAT closest to them must have overloaded because it exploded outright, sending chunks of flaming metal everywhere.

"Did you _have_ to insult them? Isn't blowing them up enough?" Rose asked with a growl.

"No." White replied simply while laughing.

"When blowing stuff up, it's always go big or go home!" DJ declared while laughing just as hard. "That was awesome bro!" The TAT, which White had just named the _Liberator,_ shook violently as an explosion impacted against the front of the tank. White's mind snapped back to reality, and the joyous atmosphere evaporated.

"Hey DJ, I'm starting to get the feeling that we've overstayed our welcome." White said in a more serious tone.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that feeling too." DJ agreed and the _Liberator _lurched backwards and started hovering away from the laser and rocket fire. The tank shook violently every time a rocket or a heavy weapon impacted them, and White watched on the projection as the armor of the mobile fortress slowly weakened. The massive vehicle may have been designed to take a lot of punishment, but it couldn't take on an army single-handed. _We're not moving fast enough._ White thought in frustration as the armor became more and more strained as it took hit after hit.

"White I don't think we're going to last long like this!" Winston commented with a half panicked half annoyed tone. _Tell me about it._ White thought bitterly to himself.

"You two just keep focusing on patching up Black, DJ and I will get us out of here!" White replied firmly.

"You don't even have a way to shoot back right now!" Rose shouted.

"We'll make it." White assured, but even he was beginning to have doubts. They weren't going to last much longer. White did however have to stop himself from correcting Rose, they _did_ have a way to shoot back, but he doubted the two non-automatic turrets on the sides of the control tower were going to have any real impact on their escape. On top of that both possible users of said towers were currently acting as doctors.

An explosion on the opposite end of the Thilan battle line caught White's attention. Checking the battle map, he realized that their little stunt created an opening for the other Guardians to break through the Thilan formation and charge right down the middle of the enemies battle formation. White quickly re-tuned the radio to Sanctuary frequencies in time to catch the tail end of a set of orders from the General.

"…forces forward! Someone please assist that rouge TAT before the Thilan blow it away!" White pushed a button on his console and activated his microphone.

"General Caelus this is Squad Keeper, Designation Fallen Swag Star Business. Hope our little distraction created a big enough opening for you guys!"

"Squad Keeper? The team I had Beals send to take out the Zana factory complex? Hah! You're timing is impeccable. Are your TAT's autocannons are disabled?"

"Yes sir, no way we're going shoot at our own people. We've disabled the Thilan's mega rock cannons but we seem to be in a bit of a spot."

"Noob Crushers and Team Blue Rift move in and keep Squad Keeper's TAT alive." As soon as the General gave the order White knew that there wasn't any real need to send two more teams to help them. The sudden charge by the other Guardian teams had distracted the Thilan long enough for DJ to get the _Liberator_ around the street corner.

But even though they were out of the obvious line of fire, there wasn't any doubt in White's mind that there were more heavy troops coming. On top of that the _Liberator's_ armor was at its limit. Turning off the microphone with a quick reply to the general, White signed and attempted to retract the Mega Rock Cannon, only to hear a clunking sound and have an alert pop up saying that the cannon was unable to retract or fire. _Great, so not only is the armor so beat up we could explode at the first rocket but we can't even shoot our best weapon_. White turned around and started descending the rung ladder. He knew he needed to shake things up if the team was going to keep its new toy.

"Alright everyone I'm changing the plan. Rose how is Black doing?" There was a brief sigh before Rose answered.

"Her leg's going to be fine. Winston just finished patching it up. She's going to need rest though."

"Good. We can't take her out of here on a stretcher without being an easy target, so our first priority is to escort the _Liberator_ somewhere safe and hold out until the Sanctuary army can clean out the Thilan troops."

"Wait, hang on a second." DJ said in confusion. There was a brief pause as White reached the rear compartment. The trooper turned around to look at White. "You named this thing the _Liberator_? What is wrong with you! This thing should obviously be called the _Black Star!_" In the blink of an eye, Rose took off the sniper rife that was strapped over her shoulder and aimed it right at DJ's head. His hands went up so fast one nearly slammed against the control console.

"Another word regarding your perverted fetish for Keeper girls and I'm blowing a hole in your pea sized brain. Got it?" DJ nodded quickly and Rose slowly lowered the rifle.

"So where do you plan on hiding a monstrosity like this?" Winston asked.

"No idea and we don't have time to shop for good retail prices. DJ will turn this thing around at the next intersection while the three of us kill any Thilan troops that get too close. Hopefully we meet up with one of the two squads that General Caelus sent to help us out." White looked down at Black, who was laid out flat on her back on the retractable bed. He felt himself growing increasingly sad at what the Keeper had to go through up until this point, and he didn't even know the whole story yet. At the same time however, he felt a thrill. In all his years of online gaming never before had he cared so much about an event or a quest. Even the best NPC's in other games hadn't made him care this much before. It honestly felt like everything about this world was real.

Of course none of the hype he was feeling mattered if they failed right here.

"So our plan is to run around until the enemy is all dead?" Rose asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yup." White nodded with a shrug.

"What! We're going to turn tail and run like cowards?" DJ protested.

"Do you WANT to watch Black die?" White fired back.

"Running's good." DJ said quickly and turned around in his chair.

"So how do you want to play this?" Winston asked.

"Nothing special," White shrugged. "The three of us escort the _Liberator_ around the city and keep an eye out for trouble for the next hour or so. With the Thilan line as broken as it looked when we ran I doubt it'll long for everyone to finish the job."

"What about the command tower?" Rose asked. "Shouldn't someone be up there to watch for enemies or operate the turrets?" White shook his head.

"The command tower's radar can track motorized vehicles or radio signals, but if a small squad turns their radio's off they can easily ambush us. If we had one or two more people with us I'd say sure but with just us four it isn't worth spending the man power."

"And the turrets?" Rose pressed.

"If we're attacked, it's probably not going to be a squad of grunts. In every movie or anime series we've watched together it's always the gunner that goes down first."

"This is real life White." Winston pointed out dully.

"No he has a point." Rose admitted reluctantly. "If one of those Thilan goons has a sniper rifle and takes a shot at a turret before I can spot them whoever is in there dies. Best to keep going on foot."

With everyone in agreement, White took one last look at Black and let out a sharp breath of air before leaving the TAT. Winston and Rose followed him out, both holding their guns up and scouting the nearby buildings for any sign of an enemy ambush.

"Alright DJ we're out, close it up and get moving."

"Try to not get me killed okay?" DJ replied as the hatch slowly closed up. White ran around the right side of the massive vehicle to stand closer to the front of the tank to keep an eye out for enemies from the northwest. Everything was quiet except for the hum of the _Liberator_ and the sounds of battle behind them. The giant tank lurched forward and started slowly crawling forward as four simultaneous _bangs_ rang out from the other side of the tank, quickly catching White's attention. He turned his body and prepared to rush to the aid of his friend, but stopped when Rose explained.

"A couple of Thilan's decided that it would be a good idea to chase us." Rose reported. They won't be making that mistake again."

"It's a surprise we haven't seen more Thilan's come after us. They seemed quite determined on killing us five minutes ago." Winston commented.

"Stay sharp, it means they've set a trap for us here pretty soon." White ordered and scanned the nearby building again.

The four of them slowly worked their way down the broken streets of Khua. Most of the road was already clear thanks to their previous rush to get in position, and whatever rubble they had pushed aside hadn't been much of a concern to White. But now that he was on the ground taking in the scenery, he wondered how long the former capital had been a battleground. Rubble coated the sidewalks, large chunks of buildings that had fallen from the tops of the surrounding skyscrapers now blocked most of the entrances and windows. It was hard for White to even get a look inside.

Even so the buildings that he could look into seemed empty and lifeless. It was worse than a ghost town, it was more like a skeleton city. The atmosphere was one of loneliness mixed with the fear of being shot at any moment, and the echoes of battle mixed with the silence of the group didn't help much. White felt his emotions nibbling at him, eating away at any happy feeling he had left.

"I wonder how many died when the Thilan first attacked." Rose wondered, making White jump at the sudden break in silence.

"Considering this is a game, I'd have to go with tragic backstory and nearly the entire city." DJ replied, sounding way to amused in White's opinion.

"DJ?" Winston sighed.

"Yes?"

"Shut up." White sighed to himself. DJ was a good friend and a great asset in battle, but he didn't know when to keep his fat mouth shut. Out of everyone in the group he was the one who got himself banned the most. _One of these days he's going to say something he'll regret, that or something that will end our BRSO adventure for good._

"Anyone else notice that it's gotten a little too quiet?" White snapped back to attention and listened closely. While it wasn't totally silent Rose made a good point. They'd gotten themselves turned around and were a good three blocks from the battle, but even so the sound of gunfire and explosions were too far away.

"You think the Sanctuary army is pushing the Thilans out?" DJ asked.

"No." Winston replied right away. "The orders were clear, either the Thilans take absolute control of Khua or they die trying.

"So what you think they're out there lurking somewhere?" DJ let out a small chuckle. "Well bring it on! I'm getting bored just sitting here."

"How easily you forget about why we're running in the first place." White muttered under his breath, seriously considering going back inside and slapping DJ in the back of the head before hearing Rose inhale sharply.

"I thought I just saw something."

"An enemy?" White asked, looking to his left, trying to find whatever the sniper saw.

"I don't know, but I know it wasn't my imagination." White's eyes narrowed as he weighed his options. There was no real strategic reason for the Thilan to keep perusing them at this point, unless they valued the technology behind the TAT's so highly that they were willing to give up manpower hunting them down. White didn't know the Thilans well enough to accurately anticipate their next move, therefore there was only one option.

Wing it.

"Alright Winston, you and I will head into the buildings on our left and look for whatever might be in there. Rose, you'll stay out here and keep DJ safe while we're gone. If the Thilan show up, don't hesitate to call for help."

"Just don't get yourselves killed in there." Rose warned.

"What about me?" DJ asked.

"Keep moving forward." White ordered. "Pick up the pace if you can, I'm getting a bad feeling that we need to get the _Liberator_ hidden quickly."

"You want speed?" DJ seemed to take the order as a challenge, and White had to stop himself from telling of DJ any further. _The one advantage to him being infatuated with Black,_ White reminded himself, _is that he won't do anything that might get her killed._

Circling around the rear of the _Liberator,_ White quickly turned himself around and ran to circle around the rear of the tank just as its engines roared and began to pick up its pace. As he ran around the rear he spotted Rose sitting on top of the right rear rectangle box that helped keep the TAT in the air. Her rifle was firmly grasped in her hands as she watched the surrounding area for any sign of movement, not evening giving White a glance as he ran by.

He found Winston looking over a chunk of concrete into a broken window of an abandoned antique store, probably checking to make sure it was a safe point of entry.

"Well?" White asked.

"I'm amazed so many building are still standing after all this destruction." Winston said in amazement. "You'd think battles with these weapons of war would cause this whole place to be nothing but a flat wasteland."

"There isn't any point of the Thilan conquering this place if they raze it to dust." White pointed out. "So I doubt their using TAT's in _every_ battle." White let out a long sigh and looked inside the darkened shop. "Spot anything?"

"No, but there are holes in almost every wall. I get the feeling someone meant for this place to be some kind of base."

"Looters using the buildings as some kind of base camp?" White asked.

"Possible, but it also means that there is a high potential for traps."

"Fantastic." White muttered. "Well we don't gain anything by standing here." Not waiting for Winston, he stowed his cannon and hopped over the concrete rubble and entered the building, his entry causing loose bits of rubble to follow him down. This repeated a moment later when Winston followed him.

"So if you were the Thilans, how would you ambush us?" White asked. There was a pause as Winston considered his answer, during which both Guardians redrew their weapons.

"I'd want to get somewhere high and hidden, probably pick off the sniper first." Winston finally answered.

"So we go up." White decided, heading through a large hole in the wall on the right, taking him to a room filled with so much debris he couldn't tell what it had been before, The one thing he did take note of was the hole in the ceiling. He doubted there was any way for the pair of them to use it to use it to go up another floor though.

White kept glancing toward the hole as he looked around and considered which way to go next. From here there was a door leading deeper into the building and a door with a faded _employee's only_ sign. The decision was obvious, but something kept nagging at White.

"Hey Winston, head towards the back and see if there's a staircase in the next room." Winston narrowed his eyes but nodded, leaving White to stare up at the hole. As the assassin moved past him he leveled his rock cannon at the hole. The feeling inside of him was strange, like his whole body was trying to warn him that he was about to be ambushed at any moment. Considering that he had a track record of being right when he got this feeling combined with the fact that Rose saw something clued White into thinking that his enemies weren't too far away.

White was so focused on the hole that he nearly shot his cannon when he heard the rattle of concrete behind him, only calming himself when he glanced backward and spotted Winston coming back towards him.

"I found a staircase that seems to go all the way up to the roof. I didn't go up but it looks like there's a way to get to every floor from there."

"Sounds promising." White admitted.

"What are you staring at?" Winston asked.

"I've just got a funny feeling that's all, like someone is watching us." Unlike a lot of people, Winston didn't dismiss these kinds of feelings. If someone had a strange feeling they couldn't explain, Winston was usually the first to believe the person or convince them to follow the feeling.

"If that's true then I doubt it's anyone trying to kill us." White gave Winston a questioning glance.

"You were all alone just now, and the rubble in front if this part of the building prevents Rose from doing anything."

"Any theories then?" White asked.

"Looters or some civilians trying to stay hidden, either way we should keep our eyes open."

"Agreed, come on we have a lot of building to check."

It would have taken a whole day to check the entire building, so White had Rose direct them to any location ahead of DJ with a potential ability to launch a surprise attack on them. The problem was the number of possible places where an ambush could start from, and for every one spot that he and Winston checked, there were two more that they couldn't get to without falling behind. _This is ridiculous._ White eventually realized. _The chances are better than the Thilan attack us while we're searching the building than if we just stuck with the TAT._

After checking a massive opening in the wall with a fantastic defensive position White decided to stop wasting any more time. He let out a sigh and looked down at the _Liberator _as it caught up to them at the same speed that had moved them into position to take out the Thilan TAT's about an hour ago. Maybe DJ was right and the Thilans we're too busy dealing with the Sanctuary army and other Guardian teams to worry about them.

White opened his mouth to tell Winston to start heading back to the TAT when he heard the clacking of a moving rock coming from the _opposite _side of where Winton was, around the corner of the doorway to his left. It caught both Guardian's attention right away. Winston gave him an nod and the pair began slowly moving towards the sound, slowly raising their cannons and being careful to avoid making any sounds, then in a flash rounded the corner and raised his cannon.

"Oh shit!" Came the startled voice of a startled young man dressed in dark green heavy armor holding an oversized pistol, a massive axe equipped to the mans back. White relaxed when he realized that he wasn't pointing his cannon at a Thilan, but one of the Guardians sent by the General to keep his team safe.

"You know you should probably come out and say hello instead of lurking around." White commented in relief.

"Oh geez your that kid who rolled a rock cannon at the start of the game. I thought we were being sent of some kind of a special quest or something." The man replied.

"I'm afraid that we're not NPC's." Winston said with a chuckle. "Winston of Squad Keeper."

"Burnlash of Team Blue Rift."

"Whitestar, Squad Keeper. So why are you lurking around, and where's the rest of your team?"

"We're right here." White was surprised to find the deep voice of an older man coming from right behind him. White turned around to find a black man with slightly less bulk than DJ accompanied by a boy who looked to be ten years old. The older man was carrying two large shotguns with a large machete on his belt while the boy was armed with who large knifes. _It seems that we weren't as sneaky as we thought, but having another pair of Shooters and an Assassin around should make things easier. But why do they have melee weapons and a ten year old boy with them?_

"I see you've noticed the strangeness of our team." Burnlash observed.

"I'll admit it wasn't quite what I was expecting." White replied honestly. Burnlash laughed.

"We've heard that before. Let me introduce you to Masta Blasta and Shrimp."

"Yo." Masta Blasta greeted with a wave.

"Lucky dog, getting that Keeper weapon." Shrimp grumbled. White got the impression that Shrimp was a lot older and taller IRL. "I hope you know that only _one_ Keeper weapon was given out. You'd better not die with that on you." White raised an eyebrow.

"I'll give it my best shot."

"So I have one question before we continue." Winston said looking at Burnlash. "Why do you and Masta Blasta have a machete and a battle axe?" Burnlash shrugged.

"A lot of the Guardians got stuck with melee weapons. Apparently they have the ability to deflect bullets, but anyone who's tried so far has ended up dead. I had a friend of mine look online, so far thirty percent of the players in BRSO have died, more than half of those kicked out of the game." White whistled.

"That many already? Geez the Thilans really did a number on us."

"Tsk, noobs." Shrimp muttered.

"Have you spotted Noob Crushers?" Winston asked. Burnlash shook his head.

"Nope, but I know a bit about the leader. I doubt they followed the order. If anything they're out there killing Thilan on the front lines."

"We can worry about the other Guardians later." Masta Blasta pointed out firmly. "We need to work on getting that TAT to safety." White nodded in agreement.

"So where are you guys headed?" Burnlash asked. White shrugged.

"No idea, we're just staying on the move until the Thilans are driven out."

"Seriously?" Shrimp said in disbelief. "You amateurs don't even have a plan? Makes me wonder how you even managed to steal that monster." White resisted the urge to shoot the small assassin.

"If you have any suggestions let's hear it." White retorted sharply. "And make it quick, I'm not having our Trooper stop the TAT while we come up with a plan."

"I spotted what looked like a parking garage about a mile up the road. It's mostly intact and looks like it has subterranean floors. Might be our best option."

"You sure the thing was safe?" White asked with a note of concern. "We don't want the ceiling coming down on us." Burnlash shrugged.

"I can confirm once I get a better look, but it sounds like our best option right now."

"We can always keep moving if the building isn't safe." Winston pointed out. White nodded.

"Alright the parking garage it is. Rose, DJ you still there?"

"Yeah we're here." Rose answered. "What's up?"

"We found one of the squads send by General Caelus, we're coming back. DJ, keep going forward. There's some kind of parking garage about a mile down the road, we'll park it there."

"You got it boss. Full speed ahead!"

The five Guardians worked their way down, having to drop through holes in the floor when they couldn't find or get to a staircase. The whole time White managed to catch Shrimp muttering complaints about his cannon or the _Liberator_, and even about the Generals order. To White, Shrimp seemed like one of those guys who would get mad at anyone as soon as he found a reason to get mad. It made him wonder how the other members of his squad put up with him.

"So Whitestar, can I ask you something?" Burnlash asked as he followed White through a hole down to the second floor.

"Sure, and just call me White, rolls of the tongue better."

"Well no arguments there" Burnlash said with a laugh. "What did you think of the Keeper Battle last night?"

White let out a sigh. "From a game standpoint, it does provide a kind of spectator sport, and does make some sense. But at the same time I felt like something was off about it, like the Keepers hadn't signed up to kill each other like they did."

"I know what you mean." Burnlash replied as they started down a staircase towards the first floor. "I actually managed to spot something unusual about the whole thing." White glanced back at Burnlash with a raised eyebrow.

"And that would be?"

"Just before the fighting started the eyes of every Keeper turned red. It was like someone flipped a switch and they all turned into psycho killers, except for one."

"Let me guess, Black Rock Shooter." Burnlash gave White a look of confustion.

"Yes, but how did you guess?"

"She shot at me before the fighting started." White explained, trying to hide the rising feeling of panic that he almost gave away that they were hiding the Keeper in the TAT. "Once at the wall and then once right at me. If anyone wasn't going to be affected she would be my first guess."

"Yeah. I get the feeling that something's up with those battles though. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up with the option of rebelling against Blue Rift and have the option of saving the Keepers."

White stopped just before the exit of the building to ask Burnlash a question, the other three Guardians walking past them. "So which would you choose?" Burnlash shrugged.

"It would depend, but if the council was allowing the Keepers to have mind control used on them to have them kill each other for a spectator sport, hell yeah I'd go with the Keepers." White turned and exited the building behind Winston without another word. He was sure he'd just gained a potential ally. He didn't trust Brunlash to tell him the truth about Black just yet, but he had potential.

"Another few minutes and we're there White." DJ reported as the TAT roared by him. White realized that DJ had picked up the pace and started sprinting just to keep up with him.

"Could you slow down a bit dammit!" White complained just as a bang erupted from behind them, causing the ground just behind the TAT to explode.

"Wish I could, but it seems those pesky Thilans did send some kind of elite squad after all." DJ replied.

"What the hell!" White heard Shrimp roar in anger, and the _Liberator's _engines flared as it hit the brakes. "Three Shooter and a pair of Troopers in front!"

"At least two Snipers as well White." Rose reported. "One in front and one behind us, they've boxed us in." A shimmer of something next to Rose caught White's eye, and without hesitation he shot just in front of Rose, and a flash of light in a large oval shape appeared in front of the distortion, absorbing the blast from White's cannon. At the same time, a figure in dark red armor replaced the distorted Shimmer.

"Holy shit!" Rose exclaimed as she rapidly backed away from the assassin. White fired another few shots at the newest Thilan elite. This time however, the assassin jumped off the TAT, landing on White's right about ten feet away. He was impressed at the jumping power of the assassin, but the time to be impressed was later. The sounds of battle quickly erupted as the six Guardians engaged with the eight Thilan elites.

The assassin rushed at white with a long energy blade in his hand. White raised is cannon and began firing at the assassin, who dodged to the left and began running in a circle while slowly closing the distance between them. White adjusted his aim and fired again, and this time there was a loud BANG at the same moment, and before he knew it White was on the ground, and he saw stars as a throbbing pain echoed in his head. He had been so focused on the movements of the assassin that he had totally forgotten about the sniper behind him.

A few more bangs echoed out, these sounding like they were coming from Rose's sniper rifle. White looked up to find a black visor and the tip of an energy blade descending towards his head. Instead of rolling to the side, which he figured would be blocked by the leg of his attacker, he shifted his body to the left and threw his head to one side, causing the sword to embed itself in the concrete. White angled his right arm and pulled the trigger on his cannon, expecting to blow the head off of the Thilan assassin, but instead his opponent had predicted the move and leaped over him. Quickly leaping to his feet, White realized that Rose was missing.

"White, it's Rose." Rose said before White had a chance to panic. White began shooting at the assassin again, but this time running back towards the building he had just exited from. If he could get there, he would have a harder time dealing with the assassin but wouldn't be at risk of getting sniped.

"I've dealt with the sniper behind us. I've escaped to one of the buildings on our right to try and find a place for me to pick off the other sniper."

"Alright Rose, good luck." White replied while continuing backwards. Even with the rear sniper dead, there was no guarantee the other one wouldn't just shoot him as well. His first priority was getting himself into a position to properly organize the fight and set the tempo in their favor. But to do that, he had to give himself the breathing room to scan the battlefield, and that meant killing off the assassin.

White kept shooting as he ran backwards, forcing the assassin to run in a zigzag pattern to dodge the spheres of energy. _If I can get to the building and then use the cover to regroup with the others, I should be able to get this guy off my back. As long as I keep shooting at him like this I can keep on the pressure long enough to-_ White's thought was cut off as there was a deep boom sound along with a flash of red light, and before he knew it the assassin was right in front of White. _Oh shit that just isn't fair._

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, 1st Month, 23__rd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Khua, The Liberator_

_Time:__ Roughly 3:41 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

Black's eyes snapped open, and her first reaction was to bolt upright and reach behind her for her rock cannon, but it wasn't there. She looked around for it and realized that she had no idea where she was. For a moment she couldn't remember what happened, then it slowly came back to her. She had found Whitestar, the man who had wrongfully taken her sisters cannon, and then her leg injury gave out. Black hung her head in shame. _Forgive me White, I was too weak._ There was no getting around it, she had been captured and she was probably on her way back to Obroseon.

No, no there was no giving up here. She _had_ to find Whitestar. She wasn't letting herself be defeating without achieving her goal. She needed to escape. Black looked around and realized that the vehicle she was in was Thilan design, which meant that she was _in_ the TAT that Squad Keeper had stolen. To her left light was emanating from what must have been the control console. From the sounds of humming coming from there, she knew that whoever was driving hadn't realized that Black had woken up.

Blacks foot hit something hard, and when she looked down she realized that her rock cannon was sitting right there on the floor. _What imbeciles._ Black thought as she slowly slid off the bed and onto her feet, wincing at the pain in her left leg. With the injury, there was a very low chance of escape, but she didn't need to escape. All she needed was to see Whitestar dead.

Black picked up her rock cannon and slowly approached the figure sitting in the chair, pulling Black Blade out of her jacket as she did so. Once she was close enough she lunged forward and pressed the blade at the neck of the driver.

"Scream or notify the rest of your squad and your dead." Black said, her voice stone cold. There was a moment of silence before the man spoke.

"Well, glad to see my princess is still full of spunk after her little tumble. Though I envisioned our first conversation over a candlelight dinner instead of you having that sword at my neck."

"Quiet." Black ordered. "Where is Whitestar?"

"Our glorious commander? He's out making sure we don't encounter any unexpected surprises."

"Order him to come back." Black demanded.

"That's no way to treat someone who saved your life." The man replied. Black's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?" The man sighed.

"You don't remember? You were fighting White and Winston when you collapsed. Gave me quite the scare. We brought you inside and our sniper treated your wounds." The man glanced down, trying to spot something behind the chair. "Speaking of which I'm not sure you should be on that leg. I wouldn't want you to reinjure it. Why don't I carry you back to your bed?" The man tried to get up but Black pressed the blade closer, stopping him.

"Saving me is a mistake I'll make sure you regret." Black felt her anger rising. This man had no idea how close he was to dying and he was treating the whole thing like it was no big deal! If Black didn't know better, the man was trying to flirt with her! "Call. Whitestar." She repeated with a growl.

"Aww come on, wouldn't you rather sit down and talk with me? I'm sure there's a good restraunt somewhere in this rubble." Black was about to kill this man out of anger, only her many years of discipline stopped her.

"Unless you want me to kill you too, you'll call Whitestar." Black pressed her blade into the man's neck, starting to cut the skin.

"You know killing him won't bring your sister back." Black was so shocked that she lost her grip on her katana and stumbled backwards. She pointed her cannon at the man's head.

"How do you know about her." The man didn't even bother answering the question, instead he asked one of his own.

"So do you hate White so much just because he has the White Rock Cannon? You looked quite mad in the arena last night when you saw that he had it."

"He isn't worthy of using that weapon." Black didn't even know why she was bothering to answer the man's questions. She should just kill him and call Whitestar back herself, but something deep inside her stopped Black from pulling the trigger. Whether it was her training or something else she didn't know. All she knew is that despite how much she wanted to, she couldn't kill this man.

"Is it because it belonged to your sister?" Black didn't answer right away. She didn't want to admit it but her sister was the reason she hated Whitestar. She hated him because he was a Guardian, a person who had stolen her reason for existence and was taunting her by using a Keeper weapon at the same time. It was a stain on the memory of her sister, and she couldn't bear it.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Black asked with a hoarse voice. The man brought his hand up to his chin.

"Other than the fact that your cute, badass, and have a hot body?" Black wanted to shoot him on the spot out of sheer annoyance of his now obvious pervertedness. "We don't hate you, in fact, we feel sorry for you." Black didn't have a reply, she didn't know how to take the man's answer.

"Look, we got our weapons at a random drawing this morning. White got your sisters cannon _by chance._ Any of us could have gotten it. Later we learned from the woman who made the weapon its history. We want to rescue the Keepers from whatever mind control their under." Black was speechless, her emotions running wild. She didn't know what to think. Once the shock started to wear off she wondered how it actually changed anything. Whitestar was still unworthy of the cannon. He had still taken the role of the Keepers. He still deserved to die.

The TAT suddenly rocked with a loud bang.

"What was that?" Black demanded, struggling to suppress her emotions as the threat of battle erupted.

"Sniper shot to one of the rear engines, damn it looks like the Thilan caught up to us." The low hum of the engines suddenly roared. Black watched as they picked up speed.

"Another few minutes and we're there White." The man reported into his console.

"I said no communication." Black said coldly.

"Would you rather I let us get shot?" the man retorted.

"Could you slow down a bit dammit?" A voice replied, Black recognized it as Whitestar's.

"Wish I could, but it seems those pesky Thilans did send some kind of elite squad after all." Black didn't know what to do. On one hand, this was the perfect chance for her to kill Whitestar in the heat of battle, on the other hand, was what the man driving the TAT said true? Could Squad Keeper be honestly looking for a way to free the other Keepers? She hadn't dare hope, but then again he could be lying, her head was filled with doubts and the pain in her leg didn't help. For the first time ever, Black was at a loss. She didn't know what to do.

Before she could keep fighting. It was all she knew and the answer to every problem. Fight, but now she wasn't sure. If she fought the wrong enemy she could lose her possibly best chance at freeing her family. Her mind told her that the man was lying, but her instincts told her to believe the man. Black suddenly remembered a quote from the first book Sy had given her. _Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith._

"Why should I believe you?" Black demanded. The man turned around in his chair and gave Black a hard stare.

"Because I believe you." Black stared blankly at the man. _What?_ The man facepalmed. "Oh man that sounded so much better in my head! Dammit DJ way to go and screw up your chances with a cheesy line!" The man, called DJ, sighed.

"Look, just get out there and help out White. He's the one you need to talk to, and if you still think he's not worthy of that cannon, he'll give it back to you, that's just the person he is." Black lowered her cannon. She still wasn't sure she trusted DJ, but one thing was clear. If she wanted the answers she was looking for, she needed to talk with Whitestar herself, and that meant killing the Thilan soldiers.

It meant doing what she was meant to do.

* * *

**I'll try not to take three months this time. The next chapter should actually be easier to write. (this one was bruuuuutal.)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Alright only took me a month this time! **

**Everyone: …**

…**Well it's getting better. I won't lie it's actually easier to write during the school year. Normally I get my writing done on the bus ride to and from school, during my lunch break, and the study period I have three days a week. I rarely do any writing at home (thus the three month long wait when I didn't have any school.)**

**Still we're back with yet another BRSO chapter, and I have to say that I think I'm getting better at writing fighting scenes. It's way far off from being where I'd like it but at least it isn't 1,000 words and then a copout. (Looking at Black's leg incident a few chapters ago…)**

**The update speed may or may not pick up. I'm looking to finish The Story of Kevin (one chapter left like how lazy can you get?) and then pick it back up in its second book. (wait oops I wasn't supposed to reveal that…)**

**One last thing, if you want to chat with me outside of the reviews, either PM me or message me on twitter WillTheYordle**

* * *

_ **BlueSkYes** – Take your time, I could wait for centuries for another chapter to be uploaded, but still squeal every time I am alerted when a new chapter is posted! If there was an The Best Cliff Hanger Writer of the Year award, it would go straight to you. God I can't waittttttttttttttttttttttttt for the next chapter. All in good time thought! Great work!_

You know it's funny, I actually get the same reaction when someone I'm following updates! And I also feel the pain of waiting for months on end for one. I'll try to keep things moving so we can have more squeals and less silence!

As for that award, I'm _really_ workin for it! (Don't hate me at the end pls.)

_**Unkown Soul**__ – Thank you for nat letting this story die! And yes, it would be nice if you would not take three months againe. I take it that I can look forward to a nice asskicking from Black right? RIGHT?_

(See below for the ass kicking.)

In regard to the three month wait, at least you're not a TSOK fan, those guys have been waiting for eight for the LAST CHAPTER. (thank the stars none of them say anything, otherwise my bacon would be FRIED!)

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Alliance**

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Khua, Northern Districts_

_Time:__ Roughly 12:50 P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

_Whitestar_

With less than a second to react, White threw himself backward out of instinct. His Guardian body responded immediately, throwing himself into a backwards roll as the assassins blade came within inches of cutting his innards out. Popping back onto his feet, White attempted to raise his cannon to shoot at the assassin again but found himself in the exact same position as he had been in a moment ago, with his enemy up close and personal. _Is there any way to get this guy away from me?_ White wondered, trying to suppress panic and come up with a plan.

Out of the corner of his eye White spotted a red energy blade rapidly approaching the right side of his midsection. The extra thought had cost him the time needed to dodge the pressed attack, and he was about to pay for it with his life. Time seemed to slow down for White. This time, there would be no miracle, no last second plan, no revival items. He would have to hope that the rest of the team could make up for his error.

That's when the entire right arm of the Thilan Assassin vaporized along with his head. White could feel the blood and building debre splash on his face as whatever projectiles that had taken the man out crashed into the wall behind him. Blinking away the dust from his eyes, White was shocked beyond belief to find Black Rock Shooter standing in the open hatch of the _Liberator_, cannon raised with a fading blue glow.

White let out a sigh of relief but remained tense. Even if Black had killed the Thilan elite it was highly likely that she would take the opportunity to attack him while he didn't have any help. Even with her injured leg she was a much more experienced shooter than White was. In the back of his mind White was also aware that if Black was outside, then there was a good chance that DJ was out.

What happened next was probably the most confusing event of the night. Instead of turning to White with a flaming eye and shooting him, Black lowered her cannon just enough to signal that she had no intention of shooting him, and then hobbled over into the broken down building.

"Are you injured?" At first White didn't register Blacks question, mostly out of confusion.

"No no, I'm fine." White managed to answer after a moment. "Thanks."

"How many are there?" Black asked monotonously. _WTF is going on?_

"Uhh, well now there's one sniper and a handful of troopers and shooters." Black glanced over her shoulder at the battle happening in front of the _Liberator._ After the shock with the assassin, the energy seemed to have drained from White. Glancing at timestamp at the corner of his vision, White realized that it was past midnight in the real world. _Crap, I've been playing too long. I can't formulate a good strategy this late! _

"Judging from your face I can tell that you're confused." Black observed, bringing White's attention back to the Keeper. "However the time for questions will have to wait until we are in a safer location." Despite being too exhausted to properly process what the consequences would be, White's instincts told him that he could trust Black for this fight. At the sme time it didn't free White from the million questions and the confusion that plagued him. After one injury and a few hours, the girl who had been trying to kill him was now offering to help.

But Black was right, the time for questions was later. For the moment White needed to dig deep, slap himself awake, and come up with a plan. The rear sniper and the assassin were both dead, meaning that DJ now had a way to back out of the fight if he needed to run. He, Black, Winston, Rose, and the rest of Team Blue Rift just had to deal with the six remaining enemies, giving them a one man advantage thanks to Black entering the fight. Right now everything was an all out melee, which gave the Thilans an advantage thanks to the lack of experience from his companions as well as the other sniper which was no doubt limiting their movements. White needed to get a better view of the battlefield. He doubted there was any need to worry about the sniper, the lack of radio chatter and Winston's sudden disappearance from the battlefield told White that the assassin had it covered.

"Black, go ahead and help out the three Guardians in front while two of my people handle the second sniper." White ordered. "Once he's dead try and take out the Troopers so we can get the TAT out of here." White noticed from a small twitch in Black's eyes that she wasn't too pleased about taking orders from a Guardian, but he was the one in charge of the self-given objective of keeping the _Liberator_ as intact as possible.

"What are you going to do?" Black asked.

"Give them the old Whitestar special." White replied with a grin, stowing his cannon and running towards the back of the building, where he had spotted what appeared to be an old fire escape that lead up to at least the tenth floor.

He climbed the stairs at a hurried pace, knowing that his positioning was going to be everything. White needed to place himself in such a way as to avoid being seen by the sniper as well as being able to observe and shoot down on the whole battlefield. Timing was everything. He couldn't start shooting without giving away where he was to the Thilan sniper, and he doubted that Black and Team Blue Rift could hold out long enough for him to look for a second location.

White considered what he wanted to do with the _Liberator_. Right now it was just a giant target with its shields and armor so damaged, and the automated cannons couldn't be used because they would attack them instead of the Thilans. There wasn't time to change their targeting code and he doubted that any of them could try in the heat of battle on such short notice. It was almost smarter to have DJ back out and use the opening from earlier to try and escape, but at the same time White didn't want the Thilan Elites to stop fighting them and go after DJ instead. As much as he hated leaving such a critical objective in the open, there was no way for the _Liberator_ to exit the battle without attracting attention. In the back of his mind, White guessed that the Thilans also seemed perfectly happy taking down the Guardians first before getting their tank back, which gave White the upper hand.

Upon reaching the tenth floor, White discovered that the northern wall had collapsed, giving him a perfect spot to kneel down and scan the battlefield. Taking out his cannon, he rested it on a large chunk of rubble a foot away from the ledge, which if it collapsed would mean an over twenty foot drop onto the hard streets below.

The location was perfect, White could see everything going on below while still staying safe. However what he saw was much further from ideal. Burnlash, Shrimp, and Masta Blasta were all working together in an attempt to hold the attention of the two troopers. They were managing to hold their attention for the moment, but it was obvious that the two shooters and assassin were having problems with the massive Gatling guns and heavy armor that both were equipped with.

Black however, was in a much different position. Despite being outnumbered three shooters to one, she was having no problem holding her own. Two of the shooters were armed with some kind of assault rifles shooting red laser bolts rapid fire, while the third was armed with a rock cannon of his own, but his was slightly bigger in size and fired explosive shots. Unfazed by her opponents, Black was dancing around each shot like she could see where each one was coming from. However White knew she was going to need help eventually. Even though she was doing alright for the moment there was no way she could pull off anything that would let her turn the tables on the shooters without risking her leg giving out on her again.

"Alright Winston, we can't keep this up forever. What's your ETA on that sniper?" White's HUD displayed Winston's microphone coming on for a second before disappearing, code for one minute. White was now glad that Winston had convinced them to come up with ways to communicate with each other without talking while playing a few weeks ago.

"Rose, are you in position yet?" White asked, watching as Black attempted to get the Thilan with the rock cannon to shoot one of his allies, unfortunately the Thilan seemed to catch onto the ploy and didn't fire.

"Yeah, but it looks like the other sniper changed positions on me." Rose reported with a note of frustration. "I'm stuck until Winston does something about it."

"Alright hold tight, that sniper will be out of play in just a moment." White assured.

"Great, now explain to me why Black Rock Shooter is out fighting _Thilan Elites_ with that leg?"

"Well she _is_ a Keeper you know." DJ chimed in with his typical _that's my girl_ voice. "They're programmed to be cute _and_ immune to pain."

"So why'd she collapse before you perv?" Rose asked holding back her anger at DJ acting like a lovesick fanboy.

"All part of the event!" DJ replied enthusiastically. "Fulldrive wanted to make sure we'd take care of her."

"She seems to be perfectly fine taking care of herself." Rose observed, changing the subject back to the fight. "But Team Blue Rift doesn't seem to be doing so hot."

"They're holding machetes, axes, shotguns, and knives. That's like trying to break a rock with a toothpick." DJ replied with an amused snort. "No way are they going to punch through that armor."

"I can take one of them out right now White." Rose offered. DJ laughed.

"Nah you sit there princess, I'll handle this!"

"You can't just leave the TAT unguarded!" Rose quickly protested.

"Relax, I found a way to place a lock on the system." DJ explained. "I rewrote all the passwords so the Thilan can't take over."

"Since when did you learn to rewrite code?" Rose muttered, barely loud enough to hear.

"I didn't, but I wanted to do it and my Guardian took over." _Like how he suddenly know how to drive the _Liberator _in the first place._ White realized.

"Alright, then you can help out Team Blue Rift with those Troopers. Just watch for the sniper."

"You got it!" DJ replied eagerly.

There was a sudden boom that echoed, snapping Whites attention over to Shrimp, whose head was now in a bloody mess on the ground. The sudden sight almost made White vomit on the spot. The sudden drop in teammate distracted Burnlash for a moment, and his left arm was immediately torn apart by a spray of lasers. White fought to get himself back under control, there would be time to worry about the realism of Shrimp's death later, for the moment he had to do something about those two Thilan Troopers before he ran out of time.

The echo of another shot rang out from the opposite direction as White started looking for an opening in the Troopers movements. It wasn't easy, normally in gunfights you aren't shooting while standing in the middle of a street without cover. No game White had ever played featured that kind of shootout. In BRSO however, you either had the reaction time to dodge incoming shots or had the ability to resist taking a direct hit. The only exception to the rule seemed to be rock cannons and heavy weapons. So in the case of the Troopers versus Burnlash and Masta Blasta, there was a lot of quick movements, rolling, running, and relying on shields and armor to block non-lethal hits.

Before the second shot, which had come from Rose now that the second Thilan sniper had revealed his location, the enemy Troopers hadn't been moving around all that much. They'd stuck to one spot and relied on offensive pressure and the disadvantage of their opponents weapons, a silly tactic in White's opinion. But now that Rose had revealed herself, the Troopers were moving around in a similar fashion to the Shooters currently fighting Black, quick, short movements and long rolls or short sprints to reposition themselves. To White, there was no pattern to the Troopers movements, making it extremely hard to find an opening. Part of him wanted to just open fire and hope for the best, but he held himself back. Doing so would be a bad idea for multiple reasons. First of all with a random spray and pray there was an equally likely chance that he would hit one of the two remaining members of Team Blue Rift as well as the Troopers. Secondly he was the last trump card they had left, and that kind of surprise they couldn't just throw away.

But most importantly, DJ was about to open up on their sorry Thilan butts anyway.

"BONZAIIIIIIII BITCHEEEEEES!"

When the first spray of bullets showed up it caught everyone down on the street by surprise. One of the Troopers that was just about to finish off Burnlash suddenly had lasers piercing his armor and ripping holes in his body. The second trooper paused briefly to try and assess what had just happened, and Masta Blasta used that moment to roll in and jam his shotgun against the Troopers chest before pulling the trigger. White could see bits of metal flying from the impact as the man dropped dead. The whole thing happened in less than fifteen seconds, and White couldn't stop laughing.

And the chaos didn't stop there, the three Shooters that had previously been taking on Black took notice to their comrades going down. The two Thilans with the assault rifles turned away from Black and began shooting at Burnlash. Black tried to turn around and plant a few flaming rock in their backsides but the third shooter leveled his cannon and fired a shot aimed at Blacks head, forcing her to dodge and keep her attention away from the others.

At this point White figured it was the best time to make his move. Adjusting his aim, White fired two shots at each Thilan Shooter. But to his surprise, both opponents dodged to the side and started firing at him, forcing him to duck behind the pile of rubble. He silently cursed himself for acting so rashly. It was on him to be patient and spring the trap at the right moment.

Hearing the sound of a chain gun starting to fire, White moved to his right about five feet and popped up again, finding that DJ had managed to take out one of the attacking Shooters. Burnlash and Masta Blasta were dragging Shrimps body back inside the _Liberator, _Black was locked in a shoot-out, and DJ was trying to gun down the last rifle Shooter with the help of some well placed sniper shots. White guessed that Winston was locked in hand-to-hand with the Thilan sniper somewhere in one of the buildings to the north. At this point, it was unlikely that the Thilan were going to accomplish their goal, and it was cleanup time. Resting his cannon on the rubble, he waited for an opening.

* * *

_Black Rock Shooter_

If there was something Black picked up on right away, it was that this team of Thilan soldiers was not one of their elite squads.

She had always been taught that Thilan Elites _never_ carried standard issue weaponry. The rock cannon had been a bit of a surprise, but the way the Shooter moved during their fight told Black that he was just a well trained soldier. Compared to her practice fights during her training and later the all out brawl in the arena, this was like shooting a still target from ten feet away. If her leg wasn't in such an injured state, she probably could have killed the entire Thilan squad by herself. Quietly she was cursing herself for her small focus slip on the hoverbike and letting herself take an injury and jeopardized the mission.

Black was also _very _unimpressed with the other team of Guardians that had joined Squad Keeper while she was asleep on the TAT. Not only was their fighting style undisciplined but their weapons were very poorly chosen. Shotguns and battle axes weren't going to deal with high powered Gatling guns or rock cannons, and as a result it left them with a very limited ability to adapt to different situations. Black had no doubt that if she hadn't jumped in when she did they would all be dead.

As soon as White ran into the abandoned building saying something about "giving them the Whitestar special," Black jumped right into the middle of the battle, finding the three new Guardians surrounded by the Three Shooters and the pair of Troopers that were on the ground. She had attempted to draw the attention of the two Troopers, but the man with the rock cannon had quickly figured out her goal and blocked her right away, leaving the three Guardians at a disadvantage against the heavily armored Troopers.

Her leg had quickly become a hindrance. Thanks to her injury it was all she could do to try and hold the three Shooters off and hope for some kind of opening. Her brain had been in survival mode, simply trying to dodge enemy fire and stay alive. There had been one point where Black had attempted to get the Shooters killed in their own crossfire, but she had made the plan too obvious.

Then she heard something that she had never expected to hear in her time on the battlefield.

"BONZAIIIIIIII BITCHEEEEEES!"

Black had to stop and briefly glance over her shoulder to see who was stupid enough to give away his position. Out of the corner of her eye she managed to spot DJ letting his chain gun spray wildly just before a flaming rock forced her attention back to the shooters. _That idiot is going to get himself killed._ Black growled inwardly.

However for as much as Black wanted to call her ally stupid, she couldn't deny that the results of his three century old style of attack had generated some very positive results. It had drawn the two Thilan Shooters with assault rifles away from her, now focused on covering for their fallen soldiers. Black raised her cannon and aimed at their backsides as their attention completely left Black. But before she could start shooting, she heard the sound of a rock cannon firing behind her, forcing Black to slide to one side and let the other two Shooters go, for now.

During the her slide to the right Black whipped herself around to a solid stance before shooting back at the rock cannon Thilan. With agility that would best any normal Sanctuary soldier, the Shooter ducked and dodge bread around the stream of flaming rocks before firing a single shot towards Black's feet. Placing most of her weight on her right leg, Black jumped backwards. The red-flamed rock from the Thilan impacted the ground where she had been standing a second before, creating a small explosion, sending small bits of asphalt in all directions.

Black brought up her right arm over her face to shield her from the flying debris, landing shortly afterward and springing to the left to avoid a follow up shot. Black felt a sting of pain course through her left leg as she skidded to a stop. _I can't keep this up much longer without risking permanent injury. I must wrap this up quickly._

Normally Black would have considered diving forward and taking out the Thilan at close range with Black Blade, but she doubted she could get close enough for the katana to be effective much less survive close ranged combat. Not only that but if she didn't keep moving she was a prime target for the sniper, and she wasn't about to end up like the small Guardian who had made that mistake a few moments ago. Black needed a way out.

That's when something occurred to Black. Despite the fact that the battle was being fought in two groups, they were both happening less than twenty feet of each other. The Thilans were subtlety controlling the battle by creating a target rich environment for their remaining sniper. Meaning if she could somehow break their control and create a chaotic situation, she could wrap the battle up quickly. The only risk involved getting the members of Squad Keeper killed.

There wasn't time to assess the risk, her leg wouldn't hold out much longer and she had no intention of dying before getting an explanation out of Whitestar. Trying to keep most of the weight on her right leg, Black began circling back to her right, trading shots with the Thilan rock Shooter the whole time. She moved in small amounts, only jumping or rolling just far enough to minimize the stress on her body from the explosions. Her goal was to place herself inbetween the second small battle and her opponent, but it was a task easier said than done. The Thilan kept forcing Black backwards away from the second battle.

After endless minutes of this dance, Black began to see a pattern in the Thilans moves. Every time she rolled closer to the second battle, the Thilan got in front of her and shot in a way that forced her backward, and every time she tried to stop him by shooting he would either duck or jump out of her line of fire long enough to get a shot off and force her to change positions.

One thing that Black had also figured out was the Thilan was becoming increasingly more aggressive with his attacks, which told her that something had happened to the last Thilan sniper. It would only be minutes before the Squad Keeper Sniper and Assassin would be in position to flank and overpower the three Shooters. Blacks opponent was desperate, and desperate opponents made mistakes.

Black stood with her back almost touching the broken building on the eastern end of the street. Her increasingly limited mobility had forced her into a corner, thankfully that also provided her with the best opportunity to turn the battle in her favor. Through the solid red visor of the Thilans helmet Black thought she sensed a smile coming from her opponent. While it wasn't definitive, she was positive that he thought she was in a corner. He fired his cannon, sending waves of explosive rocks at her.

Without a seconds hesitation, Black fired a single shot at the line of explosions before jumping forward. Her rock hit the Thilans, creating a midair explosion that covered the pair of them in a small dust cloud. Disregarding the pain in her leg, Black sprinted past the Thilan and skidded to a stop in the middle of the second battle, less than three feet away from one of the assault rifle users. Before the Shooter had a chance to react, Black's left eye lit up with blue fire and she leveled her cannon, pulling the trigger and blowing off the head of the man.

What happened next caught Black by surprise. The instant the first assault rifle user was dead there was the crack of a sniper rifle, and the second assault rifle Thilan dropped, followed by a set of plasma spheres erupting from one of the buildings on the west, gunning down the third Thilan as he began taking aim. After the loud cracks of a last massive burst of fire, the whole street fell silent, a sound, or lack of it, that Black hadn't expected. It took a few minutes of processing for Black to realize what had happened. Squad Keeper had Whitestar and their Sniper waiting for a chance to simultaneously take out all three remaining Shooters. Blacks first thought was impress.

The second was pain. Searing, burning, like her very own left leg was trying to kill her. Black tried to not show it but was forced to use her rock cannon as a crutch, her eye flame extinguishing at the same time. Her training sessions had been full contact and she had been shot before, but she had always gotten injuries treated quickly and was able to block out the pain for long enough. Today however, she had been forced to stress an injury that normally would keep her off her feet for a day while her body healed.

"White that was fucking awesome!" DJ shouted, jumping into the air out of excitement. "They didn't see it coming!" Black slowly limped past the distracted Trooper and headed back for the TAT. She needed to get the bandages on her leg replaced and stay off it for the next two days or so, and then there were the questions she needed to ask Whitestar.

"And just _where_ do you think you're going?" Black stopped when she heard the young womans voice. She didn't recognize it but assumed it had to belong to the last member of Squad Keeper Black hadn't met yet. "I have some words for you missy." The girl marched around Black and stopped in front of her, crossing her arms and staring at her with narrowed eyes, her green hair messy with dirt and small chunks of rock.

"I did not spend ten minutes trying to patch you up while our cowboys were racing around like idiots only to watch you die on me! What the hell were you thinking?" Black realized quickly that this girl must have been the one to treat her wound after she had passed out.

"You needed assistance." Black replied simply.

"So that means you can come out and risk your life?" The girl retorted.

"Going into battle is always a risk." Black reasoned.

"Not with that leg, that's called suicide. How can we explain to you that we can be your friends if you're dead?"

"And how can you explain anything to me if _you're_ dead." Black shot back, the pain from her leg weakening her mental barriers. There was a brief pause before the girl let out a sharp breath and smiled.

"Fine, you got me. You saved White, now let's get inside and get you patched up." The girl offered to let Black use her for support but she shrugged the girl off. She didn't need herself showing weakness in front of potential enemies. Nonetheless the remaining three member from Squad Keeper soon caught up and had gathered around, but it didn't seem like they were escorting her.

"So, did you guys see that last move Black pulled off?" DJ opened up with a grin. The girl whipped her head around and gave DJ a hard stare.

"What did I tell you an hour ago?" The girls voice had quickly dropped to an aggressive growl, and Black expected her to start attacking her teammate at any moment.

"I know I know but it was so cool!"

Whitestar sighed. "DJ, we know it was great, we all saw it, but please shut up. Black's right there."

"I can offer my knife Rose." The third man offered. Black recognized him from her first conflict with Squad Keeper.

"Thanks Winston but I'll settle for giving him a bruise at school on Monday." Blacks confusion returned. Guardians shouldn't have to attend any school. They were supposed to be created with all the training they'd need to fight the Thilans.

"So did the sniper really get away?" Whitestar asked, looking back at Winston.

"I'm sorry to say that yes, he got away from me. But he seemed like he wanted to retreat. I watched the man run two blocks before returning." Winston answered with a grim honesty.

"Well there goes any chance of our TAT staying a secret." Rose muttered.

"That's alright, it's not like they can stop us anyway." DJ replied.

"Don't jinx us you moron." White bumped DJ in amusement.

"What happened to Team Blue Rift?" Winston asked.

"Shrimp got blown apart by the second sniper." White explained. "And Burnlash lost an arm. They're in the _Liberator_ getting themselves patched up."

"Then we can't bring Black inside." Rose pointed out. The group stopped walking.

"I hope you're not suggesting we leave her behind." DJ glared at Rose, who walked over and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Of course not you idiot. But TBR probably didn't get a good look at Black during the fight, best to keep it that way. We don't want word getting around that we have a Keeper hanging out with us."

"I agree with Rose. If I am discovered I will be captured and you will be killed." There was a moment of silence as the four members of Squad Keepers stared at Black with shock and surprise.

"Well _that's_ a thrilling thought." DJ said sarcastically.

"There's clearly a story to tell." Rose put in.

"Alright, Rose go on and grab what medical supplies you need from inside and then climb on top. Once DJ and Team Blue Rift are settled in Winston and I will join you, then we can have that talk Black. Sound good?" Black nodded. "Alright, then wait here. We'll be out in a bit."

* * *

_Whitestar_

Before Black basically revealed that she had managed to escape from whatever prison or lab she had been locked in as a slave to the Keeper battles, White had theorized that Black had been allowed time to track him down, or that she actually had escaped. In a way, White was glad that it was the latter. It meant that the Keepers really hadn't been created to fight each other in a massive arena for the pleasure of a massive audience.

On the other hand it meant that if the council or the army caught onto the fact that they were with Black there would be some serious repercussions. Normally a failure in a quest or event like this led to nothing more than a scolding of the player by one of the NPC's and you went on your way. But this was BRSO, where your whole party dying let to you getting banned. Probably smart to just avoid getting caught.

It was hard for White to remember that he was playing a game. Everything looked and felt real to him. Nothing seemed to work like it should. He knew that BRSO was supposed to be more realistic, but everything felt _too_ real, like Fulldrive somehow had created the first true A.I. in existence. Maybe it was the graphics combined with the headset, but if White didn't know any better he would have assumed that he was talking and interacting with real people.

White slapped himself mentally, he had to stay focused. He had done well coordinating with Rose and Winston in the last few minutes of the battle between them and that squad of Thilan Elites, but White had a feeling that he was stepping into a whole new mess. There was no certainty that Black wouldn't turn on White again if his explanation didn't convince her that… that…

Hell what was he even supposed to tell her? White had almost no knowledge of Blacks sister or of how the Keepers were raised. According to Black he was dishonoring her sister by using the cannon and wearing the jacket that belonged to her. On one hand White had only a vague idea of who the cannon belonged to when he got it, but on the other hand it was pretty obvious the whole time. The only thing he could do was ask how he could correct whatever mistake he had made, hopefully without losing his only weapon.

White and the test of the team entered the opened hatch of the _Liberator_ and found Masta Blasta and Burnlash sitting on the lowered bed. Burnlash had a bunch of bandages covering his left shoulder and M.B. looked like he had taken a few minor hits to his right side. Shrimps body sat outside the TAT, covered by an old plastic tarp that they probably found somewhere inside.

"How are you guys holding up?" White asked.

"Alright, we'll take a minute before heading back to the base to get Shrimp's revival process started."

"Hang on, revival process? I thought there were no second chances in BRSO?" Rose commented in confusion. Burnlash raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you remember the orientation? The councilor said that we only get banned if they entire squad goes down. They've got some kind of lab down at the base where they can quickly re-grow a Guardian's body, they just can't replace the weapons or armor."

"Sounds like you'll need to grab Shrimps equipment before heading back then." Winston observed. Burnlash smiled and patted a bulging pack.

"Already done. How about you guys?" DJ gave a thumbs up before walking into his chair and tapping on his control panels.

"Well we didn't receive any serious injuries," White said in embarrassment, "although we honestly have you to thank for that."

"Yeah I got the impression that you guys don't like to rush anything. You like to play it slow and controlled." Burnlash observed.

"I guess so. We've learned that rushing in without a plan can be fun, but it's the best way to get us killed. Not the smartest way to play with a game where you only get one shot." Rose walked past White with a box of what he guessed were the medical supplies she'd need to treat Blacks injuries.

"I gotta say you may play things slow but you've got quite a team. If that girl hadn't jumped in when she did we would have been toast. By the way where is she?"

White stuck his thumb over his shoulder. "On top of the TAT getting medical treatment, took a shot in the back of the leg during the fight. Seems like she's going to have a hard time walking for a day or so."

"Ouch well give her my thanks and best wishes." With a look at Masta Blasta, Burnlash grabbed his oversized pack and stood up. "Well we'd better get moving, It's nearly four here and we'd better get back to the base before we fall asleep from exhaustion." White nodded and smiled, offering his hand.

"Thanks for the help, without you we'd probably have been toast." Burnlash shook White's hand.

"Anytime." The pair from Team Blue Rift left the TAT and disappeared to the right. White imagined it would be at least a fifteen minute walk from here, not too long which he was both glad and envious for. Like Burnlash, he was getting tired from the long hours of nonstop gaming, but he had to make sure the TAT was secure before going to sleep.

"With those two gone we could move the girls inside." Winston pointed out. White folded his arms and considered it.

"Let's go topside and keep an eye out for another ambush. Black can tell the story once we've reached the parking garage. Hear that DJ?" White called.

"Loud and clear, but I recommend sitting with our princess and Keeper buddies, I'm gonna gun it the rest of the way." Nodding mostly to himself, White walked out and around to the ladder that sat between the two engines on the left side of the TAT. Once he was up he was surprised to find that the _Liberator's _rock cannon was badly damaged. It wasn't sparking or on fire, but it was very badly banged up with a few pieces missing. He hoped that the army could repair it for them.

They found the girls sitting on the opposite end of the _Liberator,_ waiting patiently for White and Winston. Rose had her legs hanging over the side, while Black sat with legs crossed. Both of them looked back when they heard White and Winston approaching.

"We all set?" Rose asked.

"We're going to wait until we get to the parking garage, just in case there are more Thilans waiting ahead." Rose narrowed her eyes.

"DJ asked you to wait didn't he?"

White shook his head. "As much as I hate the idea, it's safer. I don't want one of us getting shot at while our guard is down. Shouldn't be more than five minutes, DJ said he was gonna gun it." As soon as White finished his sentence he and Winston were knocked off their feet as the _Liberator_ started moving, probably at top speed. Thankfully, the pair were knocked diagonally into the access tube of the command tower.

"What the hell DJ! Give us a little warning!" White shouted.

"Why? It's more fun when it's a surprise!" The laughter that followed pissed White off. Normally White could laugh off DJ's stupidity, but this was over the line.

"When we get to that parking garage, I'm going to let Rose kill you with that knife!" White shouted, which only seemed to cause DJ to laugh harder as they sped forward.

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Khua, Northern Districts_

_Time:__ Roughly 1:22 P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

When the _Liberator_ arrived at the parking garage, White's mouth dropped. The building was only two stories high, made out of solid steel from the top down, and was the only building for miles that seemed intact. The place was a damn fortress. But when White asked Black about it, she only replied with a simple "It's a bunker, not a place to park Hovercars."

It made sense, after all no parking garage would be able to fit a vehicle that stood over twenty feet tall. The entrance was a tall tunnel that descended deep underground, illuminated by bright blue lights that turned on after they entered. The tunnel spiraled downward until they came across a massive room, so large that they could barely see the wall at the opposite end. White figured that it must be at least the size of all the center districts. The _Liberator_ slowed to a stop and the engines slowly died down until the only thing White could hear were echoes. The silence felt wrong, like they were going to get jumped on at any moment.

White walked back across the _Liberator_ and slid down the ladder, followed by DJ and Rose. Black came last, climbing down with only one leg, showing that despite being small, she was probably physically stronger than White's Guardian. As soon as Black stepped off the ladder White heard a familiar humming sound as the rear hatch opened and DJ leaned out to wave at us.

"Got some more of the beds lowered in here, unless my lady would prefer to stand." There was a chorus of groans following DJ's sad attempt to flatter Black once again. But setting aside yet another excuse to tear the Troopers mouth off, White hadn't realized that sitting down inside the TAT would have been an option. Part of it was being to occupied with fighting Thilan and getting the _Liberator_ to the bunker that he hadn't thought too much about the conversation he was about to have. White had to admit, it made him a little nervous. Of course if you walked into a room where there was a chance someone might shoot your head off with a rock cannon that's normal, but still not something you can get used to.

Waving the group forward with a sigh, White made sure to slug DJ in the shoulder fairly hard on his way inside the TAT, something Rose did herself on her way in. Once inside, White found that DJ had indeed dropped another three of the five remaining retractable beds. Within a few moments everyone with the exception of Winston, who leaned against the back wall, had sat down. White sat across from Black, who naturally had chosen one of the two beds closest to the exit.

"So, I assume you have a lot of questions for me." White began, breaking the silence. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything." Black replied monotonously. "Explain how the White Rock Cannon came into your possession, why you were created, and why you deem it appropriate to pity us when it was you who put us in this position." White narrowed his eyes and glared at DJ in his tradition _did you really _look.

"Well to start with I don't think I pity you. We noticed that you didn't want to kill each other in the arena the other night and felt like we should try and do something about it."

"Why do you care?" Black pressed.

"Because it isn't right." Rose chimed in. "Being forced to kill friends and family is the cruelest thing I can think of. No one should be forced to do that.."

"Plus who wouldn't want to- WAH!" DJ's incoming flirtation with Black was cut short by Winston, who threw his knife right past DJ's face, the blade's tip creating a small incision in the wall before falling to the floor. DJ opened his mouth to protest but saw something in Winston's eyes and thought better of it.

"As for what's happened over the last two days, well it's been somewhat exciting." White started from the beginning, first the orientation from councilor Jude. The mention of the name lit a fire in Blacks eyes, thankfully her left eye didn't actually ignite like it had earlier. Black tried and failed to hide her anger as White moved on to their distribution of equipment, which was how he received the White Rock Cannon. It was obvious that she didn't approve that they treated one of the last possessions her sister owned as some weapon to pawn off to the new recruits.

White quickly passed over the night in the arena, guessing that Black wouldn't want to relive that moment. Thankfully DJ had taken the hint and stayed silent, not making any remarks about how 'cool' Black was during the fight. Then he got to the part about Riho, and that got Black's attention. White explained that her shop was the place where he got the harness for the White Rock Cannon and learned about this history of the Keepers, and how they were the ones who were supposed to be the ones saving Blue Rift.

"From there not much to tell really, you were there for most of it. We took off on the train, formed Squad Keeper, raided a Thilan TAT factory and blew it up while stealing our new toy." For a few moments Black just sat there, taking it all in. White had to admit he was nervous. It would only take a second for her to kill him, and he didn't want the end of their first conversation to end with a gunshot to the head.

"So what makes you think you have the right to use that weapon?" Black asked, staring White right in the eye. This was the question that had given Black the drive to hunt them down and even try to kill the whole team. But White knew that it wasn't just about honor, it was more likely about Black not having the chance to grieve for her sister until the memories were shoved back in her face.

"Honestly? I don't have any reasoning. I got the weapon, and I'd be stupid not to use the only weapon in my possession." Blacks left arm started twitching, bad sign. "But is killing me really the best way to honor your sisters memory? Would she want you to do this?"

"She'd want the two of us out there doing what we were born to do, kill Thilan." Black answered, her controlled state shattered. "Don't talk like you knew her Guardian, all you did was steal our future from us."

"Black we had no idea that you were going to be forced to do this." Rose reasoned. "We didn't know anything when we first came here."

"I think we all know that there's only one way to fix this." DJ put in with a note of excitement.

White shook his head. "No, that won't do it." Taking off the white jacket he was wearing, White undid the straps on the White Rock Cannon, slid off the harness, and handed the whole thing along with the jacket to Black. He was aware of his friends staring at him as he handed his only weapon and defensive power away.

"What are you doing bro?" DJ asked in bewilderment. "Are you seriously giving away the coolest weapon in the game?"

"It's Black's weapon, it belonged to her sister so it should belong to Black. We can always just head for Obroseon tomorrow to get me some new equipment. I imagine stealing a TAT will get us a lot of money from the general." Rose and Winston's faces showed concern but they didn't say anything. White guessed that they knew that White was doing the same thing but still had doubts about the decision.

Black took the cannon and the jacket and stared at them for a few moments in silence. White wondered what was going through her head. She had just heard the whole story of Squad Keeper from start to finish, how the Guardians had little to no knowledge about the Keepers, and how White had gotten her sisters cannon by chance. To make it more complicated the man she had tried to kill was now willingly giving back the equipment and saying he understood her situation at least a little bit.

Yeah that's totally not going to mess with your mind, even if your emotionless eighty percent of the time.

Black handed back her sisters things to White, blinked twice before giving her a look of confusion.

"You're right, it would have been stupid for you not to use these. That is why I will let you keep them on one condition. You will help me find and rescue the other Keepers from the council." In an instant, the atmosphere of the room changed from dark and heavy to light and friendly. Everyone in Squad Keeper was smiling. White took the jacket and cannon from Black.

"You've got a deal."

"Alright! Operation save the Keepers is officially go! This is gonna be epic!" DJ shouted while jumping from the bed and pumping a fist in the air.

"Don't start getting ahead of yourself." Winston warned. "Don't forget that we cannot let the council or the Sanctuary Army become aware of our plans."

"Ah that won't be an issue. It's going to be like a field of grass against a lawn mower!" DJ laughed.

"If we mess this up I'm blaming you." Rose sighed. DJ whipped his gaze around to stare at Rose.

"Why are you always blaming me?"

"Because you're a reckless, hopeless pervert who can't even have one good date." Rose answered.

"What the hell! Not _all_ of my dates have been a disaster!"

"Name one." White shook his head while containing his laugher and caught Black looking at the pair of them with interest. The sight of the two of them fighting over something so relatively pointless must have been a foreign sight to Black. Winston coughed loudly, causing all heads in the TAT to turn to him.

"While we could all stand here and enjoy the show you two are putting on may I remind you that it's past midnight? We should get this thing back to the base and get some sleep."

"What! We can't bring this thing to the army! They'll take my new toy away!" DJ protested.

"And what about Black?" Rose pointed out. "She can't exactly walk in the front door." White gave it a few moments thought before coming up with an idea.

"What if we left the _Liberator_ here? Black would have a safe place to sleep while we went back to the base. That way we won't be punished for inactivity and we can keep things hidden until we know what we want to do."

"I don't understand, can't the four of you sleep here?" Black asked. White shook his head.

"No, if we don't sleep in special Guardian houses and are inactive for more than two hours we get banned."

"'Banned?'" Black repeated with a note of confusion.

"Yeah you know, banned. Like we can no longer help you. We get offed." DJ motioned a throat slit with his finger, tilting his head to one side and sticking out his tongue.

"I don't understand, that does not explain why you must sleep in these Guardian houses." Black replied. Rose and DJ exchanged a glance, like they weren't sure how to explain it.

"We don't actually live in these bodies Black, we just control them." White explained.

"You control the bodies?" Black repeated.

"Yeah you know, as avatars. It's how we're able to play the game!" DJ exclaimed. Black's expression darkened.

"You think this is a game?" Rose gave DJ a glare. White mentally face palmed. You never told an intelligent NPC that she wasn't real. "I'll ask again, where do you live?" Since lying would probably bite them all in the ass later, White decided to follow up with the truth.

"Black, we're controlling these Guardian bodies from another world. In our world, controlling these bodies is for nothing more than enjoyment. It's a game." Black's eyes widened in horror, like she'd just figured out something big.

That's then the door to the room blew open.

"Rick Brighton you step away from that computer right now!"

* * *

**Going to start working on a book cover as well as art for the OC's… wait that's pretty much everyone isn't it?**

**(Warning: Art may not come out for another two years while I work on my skills.)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Special Thanks to my friend Joey who co-authored this chapter by typing "thousand" in there somewhere. Stay awesome bro, you da man.**

**Alright random silly shoutouts aside I'm working on a tip that I got from Crosshair regarding character detail. Since we're now ten chapters in it isn't easy to fix without going back and editing things, and I'd rather not have you all go back and re-read things. (Because I know I'D hate it.) So over the next few chapters better descriptions of outfits and whatnot will be rolling out. Keep up the tips guys, everything helps.**

**As for timing once again I dropped the ball. I've been focusing more on drawing and art since my eventual goal is creating some cool 2D animations. But a few hundred words on the bus to and from school and chapters get done eventually right?**

_**Reviews:**_

_**Unkown Soul - **__YYYYEEEEAAAAHHHH! Ass kicking! That was awesome! And an actual action scene that was well thought out. I think Black just got the shock of her life. Wonder what exactly she figured out there. Or am I just reading too much into it? And really, THAT ENDING is just too much, I burst out laughing when I read that. But really, you have a thing for giant cliffhangers, don't you? Lets admit it, that happend to all of us at some point :D_

A thing for cliffhangers you say? Me? Naw couldn't be. :P Glad you liked it though. I must avoid saying anything about this chapter, even though I REALLY want to.

_**BlueSkYes – **__"__You see we're not actually from here. We're, like, from another world.."  
"Say what mothafuka?"_

_I turned on my laptop earlier today and checked , and literally flipped over three tables, bounced off five walls and knocked over three glass vases while squealing with excitement at the same time when I seen that this fanfic had updated. Plus within a month! I shall now reward you with a cookie for not leaving me hanging for too long (_)_

YAY COOKIES! So yeah the longer comments are coming out so I gotta cut them a bit when I post 'em. But that aside I hope your eyes aren't too bloodshot. Wanted to do something else with this chapter but my mind simply couldn't do it. Of course now I think I've fixed that for eleven… BONZAIIII!

_**Crosshair - **__Okay, normally, I avoid alt-universe and OC heavy settings like this story... managing so many characters and at the same time building a new world is no task to take lightly, even in fanfiction. ESPECIALLY in fanfiction, in my opinion, if you want to write GOOD fanfiction._

_But this one has caught my interest. I'm liking how you're making the OC's unique, but I'd suggest a bit more description of their appearances, subtle callbacks to their avatars to give them more presence and solidify their image in the reader's mind._

Crosshair I think you just poked a hole in my biggest problem in writing that I now have to fill with concrete. Seriously thanks. As I said above filling said hole will be a work in progress but I'll get there. As for Black's reactions, well see below.

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Forging Connections**

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Lefraneu Drive SE (Earth)_

_Time:__ 1:35am_

Rick's brain was still registering what the hell was going on when the headphones were torn off his head and slammed onto the desk behind him. Whipping around in his seat, he expected to find himself face to face with his mother angry at him for staying up so late. Instead, he was staring at the face of his twenty-three year old big sister, still dressed in her black suit and tie that she wore to and from big business meetings. But instead of getting angry right away, something else came to mind.

"What the hell Olivia! You weren't supposed to get here until tomorrow!" Olivia snorted in Ricks face.

"It is tomorrow silly." Olivia moved behind Rick and locked his head in her left arm, using her right to grind a fist into the top of his head. "So what the hell do you think you're doing playing BRSO without me?" Rick's fear and shock were quickly replaced with amusement and relief.

Olivia stood at five foot eight, a mere two inches taller than Rick, sharing the same light brown hair and hazel eyes. Although her hair was slightly longer than his, reaching down to a few inches past her shoulders, letting her take on a more feminine charm that she used to her advantage. If given a choice her hair would be as short if not shorter than Rick's.

"Ow ow ow alright I get it!" Rick protested as he wiggled his way out of his sisters grip and spun his chair around. "Sorry we couldn't wait but with all the rumors about there about inactivity punishments we didn't want to risk it." Olivia waved him off.

"Believe me I know. I'm not a big fan of the idea but it wasn't up to me. Don't worry about it, a coworker called me after I landed saying that over fifteen hundred players got booted today." Rick raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't think it was that bad."

Olivia sighed and leaned against the wall and stared out the window. "Yeah, I caught some of the live streams on the flight home. Roughly eight thousand Guardians against a massive Thilan army, most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time. Of course it would have ended up a tragedy if some idiots hadn't managed to steal one of those TAT's." Olivia shook her head. Rick felt the corners of his mouth rising. He tried to hold back but he couldn't help but grin wildly much in the way that DJ would. _How many people saw that brilliant and beautiful carnage?_

"So what were you doing in that mess?" Olivia asked looking right at Rick. "I'll bet you and your friends charged in and racked up one of the highest body counts after those tanks blew… up…" Olivia grew quiet and simply stared at Rick when she noticed his wide grin. "Oh god dammit Rick are you serious? How the hell did you manage to steal a tank on the first day?"

"We broke into one of their factories and blew the whole thing up of course." Rick answered, resulting in Olivia letting out another sigh.

"Geez I miss all the good stuff. So where are you at now?" Olivia proceeded to push herself off the wall and look over Rick's shoulder as he turned back to his monitor, which showed his Guardian staring at an empty wall as the rest of the team – Black included – were probably discussing what had happened to him. He had been lucky that Olivia hadn't shown up when he was in the middle of the fight against the Thilan Elites, although he doubted she would have distracted him then. His sister might love to pull practical jokes and tease him on a daily basis, but never actually do anything to cause real damage.

"In an underground bunker with our beat up TAT." Rick explained. "We were planning on leaving it there and reporting back to the base to log off for the night." Rick grinned and looked up at Olivia.

"If you had gotten here a half hour ago you could have witnessed Colin go "BONZAIIII" on the Thilan."

"Man I would have paid to see that again." Olivia laughed. "Well I should let you get back to it, don't want you staying up all night when we're going to play all day tomorrow." She stepped back from the desk and walked out the door.

"You're really counting on a high death toll aren't you?" Rick laughed. Olivia turned around and gave him a thumbs-up before closing the door.

Rick was glad his sister was back. Since she landed a job as a programmer for BRS Online, she had been stuck at the office for the last three years, only able to return home for the winter holidays and even then it was only for a few hours at a time. For Rick it hadn't been nearly enough time.

Olivia had not only been Rick's big sister, but also his best friends for his entire childhood. He still remembered the times where they would sit in the family room for hours playing with wooden blocks creating cities, making up rules and laws, and then tearing it all down when the giant monster came from the depths of the sea.

In their teenage years they found that they both enjoyed playing video games, and would often spend hours on their Gamebox working out how to best one another. Olivia usually won but Rick enjoyed trying all the same. The few occasions where he would win were followed by good natured punches and roughhousing, with the occasional fight and make-up a few hours later.

By the time Rick got into high school they were both playing online games, and their desire to compete with each other had evolved into a fierce online war with the rest of the world. By this time Rick had met Sarah, Colin, and Scott, but he and Olivia were the group's aces. He was known for his quick on-the-spot decision making while his sister for her fierce, unrelenting and calculated aggression. A common title on the online forums was the Rush Queen. They knew and trusted each other so well that they often didn't have to say a word in a fight. They could read each other's in game actions so well that verbal communication was unnecessary.

Their bond was also what drove Rick to study code and learn programming. The way Rick saw it, if they could work together this well playing a game, why couldn't they work together to make one too?

Still, it was good to have her home again. And with BRSO finally released, they would have more time to spend destroying Thilan. Perhaps to solve the mystery of the Keepers too.

* * *

_BRSO_

Slipping on his headset returned control of White's body, as well as his in-game senses. The worried faces of his friends quickly turned to sighs of relief as he smiled and waved. Then he noticed that Black wasn't smiling nor sighing. In fact she looked just as panicked as she had moments earlier.

"So has anyone been able to figure out why she's so freaked out?" White asked still watching the Keeper with a concerned expression. Winston shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. She's remained silent in that shocked state ever since our friend opened up his mouth."

"I said I was sorry!" DJ cried out. "It was a simple slip of the tongue! Just forget I said anything." Rose let out a sigh.

"I doubt a certain someone will see it that way you dunce." Rose turned her head and gave White a questioning look and quickly changed the subject. "So what happened to you?"

"Olivia's home." White answered bluntly. "She gave me a hard time about being online without her. I'll explain more later." White told Rose with a glance at Black. Rose gave a small nod signaling that she got the message. There was no point in further upsetting Black with continued discussion of real world events.

"So what now?" DJ asked before looking at Black. "I don't know if I want to leave her alone like this." Black, while not looking like she had managed to stop thinking about whatever was bothering her, snapped out of her silent state.

"I will be fine here by myself. Go report back to the General." Black assured with a strained voice. White nodded and began to take off his jacket before Black suddenly looked up and gave him a hard stare.

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving these with you." White explained.

"No, you're no good to me if you get killed because you are unarmed." White wanted to protest further, but realized that it would serve no purpose. Nodding, White left his equipment on and stood up and began walking down the ramp and towards the bunker exit, stopping halfway to steal one last glance at Black before heading up the spiral ramp that led back to the surface.

The way back up was a lot slower than the way down, and White could say that he much preferred the _Liberator_ over walking on foot. He began hating the realism of BRSO and how long it was taking to walk from place to place, and it didn't take five minutes for White to grow tired from the day's events. If they were going to have to do this walk every day to go back to the base, White was going to start planning to be done with ops a little sooner.

No one spoke as they walked, it had been a long day with enough events to last a week. It seemed like years ago when they first got the harness for the White Rock Cannon from Riho, hard to imagine it had been a little over twelve hours since then. With the destruction of the Thilan factory, the battle for Zina, and the encounter with Black, they had probably experienced more events in a day than most MMO gamers get in a year.

But still White was worried. While it was natural for him to connect with the characters he met in games, he had never felt anything like the concern he felt for the girl they had left in the _Liberator._ It was like he was worried about a real living, breathing person. White wondered f he was finally crossing into obsession territory or if the characters were just that well designed. It had crossed his mind a few times before and it was crossing his mind now. If White didn't know better, he would have mistaken BRSO for reality.

"Kind of odd don't you think?" Winston said out of nowhere, breaking the silence.

"What's odd?" Rose asked.

"That Black reacted when we mentioned that all of this was a game. Normally NPC's don't react to those topics."

"This is BRSO bro." DJ replied stretching his hands and resting them on the back of his head. "You know that everyone is programmed to treat this like reality."

"Yes but most people would simply call us crazy and lose trust in us. Black looked like she figured something out." White realized that there was something in Winstons reasoning. Either Black should have labeled them as mentally unstable right there or the fact that they controlled the bodies from another world would be common knowledge. The fact that Black looked as panicked as she did meant that something else was going on.

"So what are you saying?" DJ asked warily.

"I don't know yet." Winston answered honestly. "But I feel that there is more going on in this game that we don't know about."

"Could it be the grand quest of BRSO?" Rose wondered.

"Honestly, too tired to think about it." DJ moaned. "I'm ready to hit the sack."

"Yeah good point." Rose yawned. "We can think about it more in the morning."

"So what about Olivia?" DJ asked. "You said she got home. I thought we wasn't supposed to get back until tomorrow."

"Technically it is after midnight." Winston pointed out.

"Is it seriously? Damn I didn't realize we'd been playing for this long."

"Didn't your sister buy BRSO?" Rose asked.

"She had a copy given to her by the company but she was placed one thousand on the waiting list to keep it fair." White answered.

"Well I can safely say that more than a thousand people died in today's carnage." DJ replied with a snort of laughter.

"Will she be joining us?" Winston asked. White nodded.

"The Rush Queen's glorious return!" DJ shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Aww yeah we're getting the band back together!"

"How long is your sister staying for?" Rose asked.

"Hopefully for a full month." White answered. "And then after that she said that'd she'd be free evenings.

The group continued onward with renewed energy continuing to trade banter and jokes centered around the return of the Rush Queen until they reached the base. White had made sure to radio in a few minutes before they arrived to prevent any accidents. They didn't need their evening ending with one of them shot by a Sanctuary Guard thinking they were leftover Thilan on a suicide run.

White had hoped to head right for the Guardian House and log off, but instead they came face to face with Colonel Beals, who congratulated them on a successful mission and informed them that the General wanted to debrief them before they turned in for the night. The order was quickly met with groans followed by a sharp retort from the Colonel threatening to send them all to do a hundred laps around the perimeter. No one said much after that.

Beals led them through the littered and bloody courtyard. Light blue bodybags littered the space close to the heavily damaged walls of the base. Closer to the center were soldiers and Guardians alike with injuries that stretched from scratches to missing limbs sitting on rubble, fallen crates, and laying down on makeshift beds. The sounds of screaming, crying, and shouting could be heard on occasion as doctors did what they could. The whole scene was too much for Rose, who had to cover her ears to try and block it out.

It wasn't just bodies and the wounded either, Beals informed them that somewhere in the heat of battle one of the Thilan TAT's got off a final shot and broke through the base's shields and hit one of the weapon warehouses. The explosion caused massive damage to multiple parts of the base and created some irreparable damage to some of their heavier weapons, and the train tracks were destroyed from the station to three miles outside the city. The army had managed to create a makeshift station there but it still meant that any traffic to and from Obroseon was going to be delayed for a bit.

After crossing the courtyard Beals led them into a large, dome-like structure in the center of the compound where they were quickly flooded by sounds of computers, typing, and orders being shot out rapid fire from a powerful deep voice. To White, it seemed like the command center was a war zone of its own, and he couldn't imagine the stress that the general was under to keep the situation under control. The Colonel weaved them through the crowd until they approached an elderly, yet tall and muscular man wearing a well decorated uniform standing on a raised circular platform that let him easily look out into the sea of bodies. This, White assumed, was General Caelus.

"Someone get me a status update on that train schedule! We're going to need reinforcements ASAP if we want even a lick of hope defending this base!"

"General Caelus." Beals said, getting the Generals attention.

"Ah, so this is the great Squad Keeper that saved all our lives. You have my thanks, without you I doubt we'd be here right now."

"Just happy we could help sir." White replied with a grin.

"Yes well, if you'll follow me into the conference room we can discuss what's next." The General stepped down from his platform and led the five of them into a circular room with an octagonal table, each side with two chairs. The table was well polished and looked expensive with matching chairs. Despite this being a front line base, they had clearly not held back on the luxuries.

"Please have a seat." Taking the Generals invitation, White sat down in one of the chairs close to the door back out. DJ took the seat next to him with Rose and Winston taking the pair of seats to their left. The General took the lone chair at the head of the table with Colonel Beals on his left.

"Well done today, not only did you take out the Thilan tank factory you secured enemy technology and even used it to turn the tide of battle. I must say that I'm deeply impressed, especially considering how much of a failure the other Guardians were." White wasn't surprised at the Generals low opinion of the Guardians. After all it was only the first day and no one really had a chance to figure out the game. Even White and the rest of the team would have ended up dead if it wasn't for Black's intervention.

"How many casualties?" Rose asked in a quiet voice. The General sighed before replying.

"Roughly six thousand soldiers and three thousand Guardians, and that's only our initial tallies."

"Three thousand Guardians!?" DJ exclaimed. "Holy shit!"

"Yes it would appear that those politicians back in the capital are still wasting public tax dollars." The General agreed with a growl, which sent a surge of annoyance through White. "But that aside, where is the TAT now?"

"We hid it in an underground bunker about a mile east of here. It's badly damaged and needs repair." Winston reported.

"That's what you get for being so reckless." Colonel Beals muttered just loud enough for them to hear. The General grunted but other than that ignored the remark.

"Very well, I'll send some engineers to get it up and running tomorrow morning. We're going to need that TAT up and running if we want to push the Thilan back."

"Push the Thilan back?" White repeated. General Caelus nodded.

"That's right son. We may have taken a beating but the Thilan in his sector are weaker than they've ever been. We need to take the opportunity to remove them from the capital while before reinforcements arrive."

"I assume there is a plan." Winston guessed. Beals nodded.

"We'll go over the details once your new toy is fixed, but let's just say that we're putting you Guardians through the grinder." _So they need to see if we're even worth having around._ White figured. _Great, so that means a suicide mission._

"Get some sleep Guardians, you're going to need it." The General stood up, a signal that we should do the same. "Dismissed." The General and Colonel quickly exited the room, leaving the four of them alone in the conference room. With the General planning on sending engineers to the TAT first thing in the morning White wanted to talk with the team, but he figured that the conference room was recording anything they said. Waving his friends, he led them through the crowd of the command center back outside and walked to the Guardian house near the southwestern wall. The house looked like a twelve by twelve box with a dome roof on the top, so White figured that the rooms must extend deep underground to fit so many Guardians inside.

The inside of the surface level dome wasn't nearly as impressive as the Guardian House in Obroseon. The walls were a plain metallic color and the fancy counter had been swapped with a fold-up table with a laptop.

"Squad Keeper checking in." White declared when he got in front of the table. The man sitting at the desk looked up briefly before punching some commands into his holographic laptop.

"Room 788 bottom floor." The man stated while holding up a white card key, which White took and placed in his pocket and entered the box elevator on the right side of the room. "I must say that I expected more from you Guardians." White whipped around and glared at the man, and caught that he wasn't even playing attention before the doors closed and the elevator dropped downward.

"Geez things really didn't go well today." DJ observed. "For everyone else that is."

"It's not surprising that the players didn't do that well today, after all the game has only been out for one day." Winston pointed out.

"I'm more worried about Black. She won't be expecting the engineers to show up." Rose pointed out.

"How early can you get on tomorrow Rose?" White asked.

"Assuming I get to bed at a good time tomorrow? I can be up in a few hours."

"Good, then you'll be the one to warn Black about the engineers." White ordered. "The rest of us will meet with you as soon as we can. In the meantime let's get us a good night's rest, tomorrow is going to be another busy day." Everyone nodded in agreement. Whatever came next, it was probably going to end up either a massive success or their most epic failure.

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, 1st Month, 23__rd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Abandoned Bunker, The Liberator_

_Time:__ Roughly 9:20 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_Black Rock Shooter_

Black couldn't remember being so happy. She was sitting across the table from her sister, each of them eating large plate of Obroseon's special extra spicy curry. They hadn't shared a moment like this in years, with the pair of them being on other ends of the continent dealing with pockets of Thilan.

But now they were finally back together. Sharing a meal and catching up with each other, a cloudless sky allowing the sunlight to shine through the window and warm her skin, giving her a fuzzy, peaceful feeling that she hadn't let herself feel since she was eight. Black looked over her sister. This was the first time she had seen her in casual clothes. White wore her white jacket over a light blue T shirt with a picture of a rock cannon on the front of it. Her white handbag was slung over the back of the chair, but for some reason Black couldn't make out its features.

Suddenly, White burst out laughing. Although she didn't know exactly why, Black felt elated. She wished this moment could go on forever, just the two of them talking and being together without a care in the world. No worrying about a Thilan ambush, or a landmine somewhere in the street. It was just the two of them and a large plate of curry.

Then the bomb went off. Everything exploded and both of them were thrown out of their seats and through the glass window. Black could feel shards of glass shredding her to ribbons, and her right side ached with pain. She tried to call out to her sister but the words wouldn't form. It was like she had suddenly lost not only her voice but the will to stand up as well. Then she heard laughter.

Crazy, maniacal laughter, that could only come from those who were mentally ill. Black found just enough strength within her to lift her head and look through the shattered glass and look into the blue eyes of her sister. No, not her sister. While this person shared many of the same features as White, her jacket, her cannon, her eyes and her pure white hair, this person was a man.

And in his arms was a bloodied White, laying there limp in the man's arms and not breathing. Black tried screaming again but like before the words wouldn't form, the tears wouldn't flow, and worst of all her eye-flame wouldn't ignite. It was like Black was trapped in her own body, unable to do anything, unable to save her sister, and unable to kill the man who took her place.

Black was jolted awake in a pool of sweat gasping hard and her right hand clutching her chest. Slowly she came back to the real world and realized that everything had been a nightmare. Her sister was still dead, she was still powerless to stop those around her from being hurt, and she had let the Guardians take the place of her family. It made her wonder if the real world was the actual nightmare.

It took a few moments for Black's heart to stop racing and for her to calm down enough to start moving. At first Black wondered why she was wearing her standard combat uniform instead of her cotton long sleeve shirt and pants that served as her night clothes before remembering that she wasn't back in the Keeper Facility.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Black sat there with her head in her hands. It was unusual for her to dream, even more so for her to feel this much emotion without being able to control it. Tonight had been the first night she'd dreamed at all since White died, and the pain didn't seem to have diminished at all. Black began to wonder if it was because Whitestar was still alive.

Whitestar, the other Guardians, it all came crashing back in an instant. The realization that they were all children from another world playing what to them was a simple game. _So on top of turning us into a science experiment they had to go and turn over the fate of Blue Rift to a bunch of children?_ Black knew that she couldn't be any older than they were, but unlike the Guardians she had spent her whole life training and preparing to fight the Thilan.

But who's to say that the Guardians weren't the same? After all Squad Keeper had stolen a T.A.T., a feat never before accomplished in the history of the war. On top of that they had blown up a T.A.T. factory _and_ saved Firebase Zina single handedly. Whatever else she believed about them she had to admit, they were nearly if not as good as the Keepers themselves.

Black still couldn't allow herself to forget what their arrival had done, how much pain their arrival had caused. She could get over their age and where they were from, but she wasn't ready to fully accept them, not until they had proved that their skills could be used properly, and not just for being tools of the council. Especially Whitestar, who had yet to prove himself. _If he makes a single false step I'll kill him._ Black promised to herself.

But at the same time she couldn't think about killing Whitestar so soon, she still needed him to free the other Keepers. Her mind and heart were torn. She wanted to honor her sisters memory but she wasn't sure which option would be best, killing Whitestar or working with him to free the other Keepers. Everything before now in her life had been, well, black and white. Never before now had she had to deal with gray. Black didn't know how to deal with it.

The only thing's she had been taught were to kill Thilan and stand by her fellow Keepers no matter what. But neither of those core lessons gave her a clue as to what she should do. Logically, it made the most sense to work with the Guardians. But at the same time how could she work with people that had indirectly caused them all so much pain?

Then there was her realization of the Guardian's origins. From what DJ had said last night Black had a feeling that they hadn't been lab grown or selected from the Blue Rift population like she had first thought. From everything that had been said the night before, Black was almost certain that the Guardians were being controlled from another world.

Back when Black was still in the underground Keeper facility, she had overheard a few scientists discussing some kind of portal to connect with other worlds. At the time she had totally ignored the conversation, but now she was wishing she had paid more attention. _If it is true,_ Black thought, _then Squad Keeper may not be composed of anything more than children looking for a good time._ That thought scared her more than anything; that the fate of Blue Rift Sanctuary had been left in the hands of a bunch of children who didn't really care about what happened to them.

But before Black could get too much farther into her thoughts, she heard the rear door unlatch and slowly open. Almost by instinct, Black was on her feet with rock cannon pointed right at the entrance. Had the Thilan managed to find the hidden TAT, or had the Sanctuary army come to collect their prize. Black realized that it was possible that Squad Keeper had sold her out. _I should have kept one of them hostage._ Black realized, probably too late.

However all of her fears were proved to be wrongly placed when Black realized that it was just Rose. Despite her mind still racing, most of her emotions had been pushed to the back of her mind, and Black lowered her cannon without so much as blinking. Rose on the other hand, looked a little shocked to have Black's weapon pointed at her at all.

"How long have you been up?" Rose asked quickly walking past Black and lowering another one of the beds to sit on. Black didn't answer, the memory of her nightmare left her feeling wary of the Guardians, and therefore there was no point in conversation that didn't have to do with a mission or freeing the Guardians.

From the look of things, Rose had been wearing the same uniform from the day before as well. Long dark pink sweatpants, pink military grade boots, and a heavy black sweatshirt with a hot pink sniper rifle embedded in the back of it, partly obscured thanks to her real rifle, which was less pink and more black. Her entire outfit made her look slightly bigger, thanks to the light armor that was no doubt hidden within the clothing itself.

"Don't tell me you've been up all night. You might be a Keeper but you still need to sleep." Rose let out an amused snort followed by a grin. "If you collapse on the battlefield you know that DJ's gonna flip out."

"Why do you care so much?" Black blurted, and immediately wished she could take it back. She cursed herself. Black had allowed her mental barrier to weaken from the nightmare the night before, and she couldn't let that happen, especially in the presence of a Guardian.

The sudden question caught Rose's attention, and at first she seemed a little surprised at the question, almost like she had expected Black to know already. But the look faded within a second, replaced by a thoughtful gaze, like she didn't quite know the answer herself.

"To be honest, I think each of us has our own reason to care. White does it because he believes it's the right thing to do. Winston because he can't stand injustice, and well, you know why DJ cares." Rose let out a sigh. "But deep down I think he believes it's the right thing too."

"What about you?" Black pressed with reluctance. She didn't want to continue this line of questioning, but since Rose was answering anyway it would let Black put her mind a little more at ease. "You are a child who isn't even from this world, so why do you do side with me and perform these treasonous actions?" Rose sat in silence for a few moments, leaning back on her hands with her gaze staring off into nothing.

"Probably because I've been in your shoes before." Black's eyes narrowed. The Guardians probably lived pampered lives somewhere peaceful and part of the upper class. How could someone like that – someone who lived like a daughter of a councilor – know how she felt?

"My mom served in the military, often times she was sent on dangerous assignments that we knew nothing about. Every time she left she promised she would come home, and then one day we were told she had died on an assignment." When Rose looked Black in the eye, Black wasn't ready for the same defeated, saddened, and pained look that had plagued her ever since White's death. She felt her mental barriers starting to break down without a hope of being restored.

"So when I heard that your sister had died and the story of the Keepers, I knew I couldn't sit on my sorry ass while another family was torn apart because of some stupid war. That I had to get up and do something about it. That's why I care." Black noticed that Rose's hands were clutched into tight fists, and for the first time since that night in the arena, Black felt like she had a true ally. In that moment she didn't care that Rose was a Guardian, only that there was someone in the world that wasn't telling her to forget about her sister and move on. Someone who knew the pain of losing someone close. Black didn't know what to say, if there was even anything to be said in the first place. Black felt Rose's hands on her shoulders.

"I get it; you don't have a reason to trust us. We're new, we stole your job, and we're probably the last people on the planet you want to work with. But give us a chance to help make it right." All Black could do was nod. "Good! Now get some sleep, we're going to have a _very_ busy day today."

Laying back down on the bed, Black tried to get some more sleep. This time however, Black's rest was undisturbed.

* * *

_Three Hours Later…_

Black woke up to shouting, not right next to her but somewhere off in the distance. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up, only to find Rose shaking her head and sighing. Black realized that it must be the rest of Squad Keeper.

"I wonder what those idiots are fighting about this time?" Black found the situation curious. She may have sparred against her fellow Keepers in the past, but they had never disagreed with one another. Debate over what decision to make was acceptable, but the rule was to never let emotion get involved. Black wondered how Squad Keeper were able to work so well together if they argued like this, and what was so important that shouting would be necessary. Black listened intently as they came3 within earshot.

"Dude, I'm telling you that I could easily handle two dozen Thilan on my own if I had both a rocket launcher and a chain gun!" A voice that Black recognized as DJ's shouted in annoyance. Black felt her eye twitch as she realized that they were fighting over something _very_ insignificant.

"DJ I'm tell you as a friend, that there's no way. The Thilan aren't dumb enough to stand clustered together for the launcher! They'd just surround you and blast you to pieces!" This voice belonged to Whitestar.

"You're assuming that I'm dumb enough to stand in the middle of the street!" DJ countered.

"Of course not, but you could just as easily be surrounded inside a building too!" Whitestar reasoned. "And don't get me that 'I'll sit in a corner and camp' crap! You'd run out of food and water long before the Thilans would be desperate enough to charge at you."

"Who would even sit around for that long? They'd give up long before I'd starve!"

"The argument is pointless!" Rose shouted from the TAT's entrance. "Having both would slow you down so much my father could hit you!"

"Shut the hell up Rose!" DJ shouted angrily.

"How long have they been at it?" Rose asked Winston as they all entered the TAT.

"Ever since we logged on." Winston replied with a sigh. "There was quite the scene back at the base." Rose snorted. Black was finding it hard to focus on the important conversation with Whitestar and DJ shouting in the background.

"Damn, sorry I missed it. So where's the generals welcome committee?"

"About five minutes behind us, there was some kind of power failure and he couldn't send anyone." Winston replied as the background shouting got louder. Black couldn't stand it any longer.

"Hey! Both of you please shut the fu-" Rose was interrupted by Black leaping to her feet and whipping out her cannon.

"Your argument is irrelevant. Please focus on the task at hand before I force you to." Black's monotonous request was met with silence and surprised blinks, and after a few moments she was satisfied that their focus had been redirected off their stupid argument she holstered the weapon and sat back down. While Whitestar quickly got over Black's sudden commands, DJ remained wide-eyed as the pair lowered a bed of their own and took a seat.

"So you were saying something about a welcoming committee?" Whitestar asked. Winton raised an eyebrow at the shooter.

"I should have guessed you weren't paying attention."

"I'm sorry that I was trying to prevent my friend from getting killed!" Whitestar retorted sharply. Winston cleared his throat.

"In any case, General Caelus's engineers will be here within five minutes, we need to get Black out of here before they show up. The General doesn't know she's here and I'd rather keep it that way."

"Agreed." Whitestar stood up. "And since five minutes was about three minutes ago we'll have to hide Black somewhere in the bunker."

"Alright genius, where do you plan to hide her in a big empty bunker?" Rose asked with a glare. Whitestar rolled his eyes.

"You're not serious right? There's a bunch of crates behind us."

"There's like three tiny boxes under a tarp." Rose corrected monotonously.

"So Black hides under the tarp? I don't see the problem here." DJ shrugged.

"You expect Black to lay on the floor for four hours while those engineers work on the _Liberator_?" Rose said angrily. "Like hell."

"That will not be a problem." Black spoke up before the conversation deteriorated further. "Remaining still for long periods of time does not bother me."

"Not a chance in hell!" Rose replied immediately. "You're coming with us and that's final!"

"Rose would you mind elaborating why you feel so strongly about this?" Winston asked. "I'd expect this behavior from DJ but not you."

"Hey I'm sitting right here dipshit!"

"I don't like the idea of leaving Black alone here while we go out and get Olivia." Rose replied, ignoring DJ altogether.

"I think you're just tired of being the only girl in the group." Whitestar teased. Rose gave him a cold look.

"We're about to go pick up another girl you ass."

Whitestar shrugged. "Alright fine, but all the same you do have a point. If Black is going to work with us she should go too. If we don't know how we behave as a group and know each other's moves we're going to run into problems."

"We did fine yesterday." DJ remarked.

"Yeah but that's because it was our first time working together." Whitestar pointed out, confusing Black. Normally working together for the first time ended in disaster, so why would Whitestar say such a thing?

"Yeah yeah the whole team honeymoon theory." DJ grumbled. Black became even more confused but decided to dismiss the whole topic. The Guardians had their own ways of fighting that she would understand in time.

"Why are you even complaining? I thought you'd be thrilled at the idea of Black tagging along." Rose commented with amusement. DJ's eyes grew wide with shock, like he couldn't believe that Rose had just said that.

"Are you kidding? We can't just waltz out there with Black tagging along! Someone would recognize her!"

"He has a point." Winston agreed. "The story of a missing Keeper is most likely all over the news by now. She needs a disguise." With a small inward sigh, Black tucked her hair into her jacket and pulled her hood over her head. A moment of silence followed and Black could feel the gazes of the four Guardians on her attempt to hide her face.

"Yeah uhh…" DJ said while scratching his head. Winston shook his head and Black heard Rose sigh.

"Girl where did you learn the art of stealth?" Rose asked, taking off Black's hood and staring her right in the eyes with her hands on her hips. Rose's gaze wasn't threatening in any way, but rather filled with amusement.

"There is no need to disguise yourself when fighting Thilan." Black explained.

"Uh huh, yeah Winston can you grab that tarp from outside?" Whitestar asked, gesturing towards the open door with his thumb. With a nod, Winston jogged out of the TAT. Black glanced at Whitestar in confusion. But he wasn't paying any attention to her as he started looking around the TAT.

"DJ do we have any hidden compartments?" White asked. Now it was DJ's turn to look confused.

"What the hell for?"

"We need to hide Black's cannon." Black quickly realized what Whitestar had planned and jumped to her feet, pulling Black Blade from her jacket.

"No." was her simple answer. Whitestar rolled his eyes.

"Black you can't go walking around a Guardian train station wearing that. Trust me when I say that Guardians make connections for a living. If anyone sees that cannon they'll know who you are, disguise or not.

"I will not go without the Black Rock Cannon." Black replied firmly.

"Does it really matter?" Rose cut in before Whitestar could reply. "I mean, if she's going to be wearing the tarp anyway right?" Whitestar stopped and folded his arms, tapping one finger against his arm, considering the idea for a few moments before nodding.

"Alright fine, but she has to carry Winston's bag too, I don't want anyone figuring her out from the shape of the lump on her back." Black nodded, accepting Whitestar's plan as passable. "I'd also recommend removing your hair ties, the less you look like you the better." Black was reluctant at first, but went ahead and took out the small ties that kept her hair in messy pigtails and stowed them in an inside pocket of her jacket. Her hair fell flat, nearly reaching the back of her legs. Black was surprised her hair was so long, and she wondered how it hadn't gotten in her way before.

Rose nodded in approval but DJ seemed less pleased. "Does she _have_ to change her hair?" DJ protested. Rose walked over and gave the Trooper a hard smack on the back of his head.

"Yeah you dunce, she does. Stay focused or I'll shoot you." Black's attention turned to the entrance when she heard the sound of footsteps coming up the ramp. Winston was holding a large gray tarp that could easily have hidden all five of them under it.

"That… might be a little big." Whitestar commented.

"Indeed." Winston agreed. "How tall do you believe Black is?"

"One-hundred fifty eight microunits." Black responded immediately out of habit. Once again she was met with silence, and Black realized they wouldn't know Sanctuary Standard Measurements.

"Looks about five feet." Whitestar said suddenly.

"Yup." Rose and DJ replied almost simultaneously. Winston, who was still holding the tarp, took out his knife and cut it roughly a hundred and fity microunits long and nearly twice her width and handed it to Black along with his bag.

"I'm afraid you'll have to hold it together, but this is all we can come up with for right now." Putting her hood back over her head, Black threw on Winston's bag before tossing the tarp over her shoulders and bringing it around her body like a towel. The tarp was rough, made of a tough plastic and smelled like rotten wood, but hopefully it would be enough to prevent anyone from recognizing her.

"Perfect, she looks like a homeless woman." DJ declared proudly. Black felt the rising urge to hit the Trooper.

"At least she hasn't had a shower in a few days, otherwise her face would look too clean." Rose commented with a smile of approval.

"Hello?" Black tensed up and looked at the ground when the unfamiliar voice echoed from outside the TAT.

"Showtime huh?" Whitestar whispered. "Who goes there?"

"Vehicle repair team sent by General Caelus. I've been told that we were expected." The voice answered.

"Perfect timing, we were just about to head for the train station to pick up a friend of ours." Whitestar replied with an upbeat one.

"Then you'll be heading to the train station?" A second voice asked with uncertainty in his voice. "But wasn't that destroyed in the battle yesterday?"

"General said they rigged up an alternate location." Whitestar explained. "We should only be gone for ten minutes or so. You think you can have this thing fixed by then?"

"Normally I'd say I'd be impossible." The first voice replied. "But we got another two dozen engineers coming in five. I wouldn't be surprised if we were done in an hour."

"Man the General really wants the _Liberator_ moving again." DJ whistled.

"Without support from the capital, we've been without heavy weapons for months." The first voice explained. "This is the most powerful weapon we've got right now, and it's our job to get it back in fighting shape."

"Then we'll leave you to it." White replied, leading the group out of the TAT. Black kept her eyes on the pair of legs in front of her and followed the group out. She could sense the confused expressions of the engineers but they didn't ask any questions as they left the group silently walked past them and up the cylinder ramp towards the surface.

"Whew that was a close one!" DJ remarked once they were out of earshot and Black could raise her head again. "I think they were suspicious though, they were eyeing Black the whole time."

"They probably thought she was just a scavenger we picked up along the way." Winston guessed.

"You don't think they believe we took her as a pros-"

"Don't go there." Whitestar cut DJ off before he could finish, but it was too late. Black however, had managed to regain control of her emotions over the last few minutes and didn't react to DJ's slip of tongue.

"So how far out is the new station?" Rose asked.

"A few miles." Whitestar answered. "Olivia was already on the train when I woke up this morning. We'll meet her at the old station."

"Good, I don't want to go walking across that wasteland." DJ commented rolling his shoulders. "Driving by it once on the train was enough."

"So what do we say when people start asking about our cloaked friend?" Rose asked, keeping her gaze focused on Whitestar.

"We go with Winston's idea. We say that she's a scavenger we picked up while running away from the Thilan who wanted to help us out."

"Will Beals buy that?" Rose asked in surprise. "Or even let her stick with us if he does?" Whitestar replied with a shrug.

"Remember that the Councilor said we're free to move as we please." Winston pointed out. Black was surprised to hear that the council had given the Guardians so much freedom. Weren't they a complete unknown to them? Why would they let a bunch of untrained kids run around with guns when the Keepers would have followed every order?

"Yeah free my ass." DJ snorted. "We have to stop at Guardian Houses every night and the General seems to have us on a leash."

"We'll ditch them as soon as the TAT is fixed, find another city with a Guardian House and work solo from there." Whitestar promised.

"First we must survive the upcoming battle." Winston replied, like he was reminding the group.

"What battle?" Black asked.

"Oh right you weren't there." Whitestar realized. "The General is sending all the remaining Guardians to attack the Thilan."

"Of course he didn't say where he was sending us." Rose grumbled. "Say Black, do you know if there are any Thilan bases around here that would be considered suicide if the Sanctuary Army attacked them?" Black shook her head in reply.

"I do not. I learned the history of Firebase Zina and of its previous generals defeat, but I do not know the location of Thilan bases or how strong they are."

"Great so a blind suicide run." Rose muttered darkly.

"Wait Firebase Zina was taken over at one point?" DJ said in surprise.

"Correct. The Generals name was Riho Medias. She-" Black tried to continue but DJ quickly cut her off.

"Wait Riho? Wasn't that the name of that woman who gave you the harness for the White Rock Cannon?"

Whitestar turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah and she told us about the Keeper project, Blacks sister, and how she forged the weapons for the Keepers. She failed to tell us she was a general for the Sanctuary Army."

Black having already known about the harness had guessed that she was the one to forge all of her weapons, but she hadn't guessed that Riho had told Squad Keeper about her history. _So that's how they knew._

"Geez the things you learn." DJ muttered. Rose slapped the back of Whitestar's head.

"You both are interrupting Black! Shut up already!"

"Yes Ma'am." Whitestar quickly apologized. DJ simply shrugged, which earned him a glare.

"General Medias was one of the most successful generals in the Sanctuary Army," Black continued, "as well as the youngest. At the time everyone looked to her to resolve the Thilan threat. However the Thilan launched an all out attack on Zina, and it was all she could do to pull her troops out alive."

"How'd she pull that off?" Winston asked quietly.

"She managed to fool the Thilan into thinking she would fight to the last man by using makeshift automated defenses. She then snuck her troops out of a secret entrance to the base. While she got ninety-four percent of her men out, she was relieved of command for abandoning a critical military position." Black finished.

"And this is why you can't trust politicians." DJ remarked.

"That's why I shoot them whenever I get the chance." Rose said darkly. "Those guys always sit in their cushy chairs and think what they're doing is for the 'good of society' when they're a bunch of asses."

"Considering that story now adds to the growing list of crimes I don't think they're going to last much longer." Whitestar said, showing Black a slight grin that sent chills up her spine.

"Could we wait until the Rush Queen get's here _before_ tearing down another government?" DJ sighed. _Another!?_ Black started to wonder who she had gotten herself involved with.

"It might be time to save the conversations for another time." Winston suggested. "We're about to arrive at the train station."

Looking past Rose and Whitestar, Black realized that Winston was correct. By a stroke of luck it seemed that the station was a mere five minute walk from the underground bunker, and from how much damage and debris were scattered it could easily be assumed that one of the Thilan T.A.T.'s had taken a shot at it. The roofing had been blown away, leaving a dozen metal beams jotting towards the sky holding nothing by empty air. Benches and rusty vending machines were now nothing but chunks of wood and metal scattered across the platform, which was now divided in half with a circular hole in the middle. Since the platform was raised a good five feet above ground level she couldn't see the tracks themselves, but Black did spot strips of metal and bits of wire that no doubt indicated that the tracks had been obliterated as well.

Black spotted a number of Sanctuary soldiers standing on the leftmost platform. One of the soldiers was standing with folded arms and wearing a light blue military jacket with the symbol for Lieutenant Colonel on both sleeves. He wore dark gray camouflage cargo pants with more pockets than Black thought could exist on one piece of clothing, and instead of the formal light blue military cap he wore a simple black sweatband. The man was short but well built, and from his upright posture Black guessed he was the right hand man for the General, Lt. Colonel Beals.

The Colonel was looking west at a body of well over a thousand Guardians walking over piles of rubble towards the train station. They came in all shapes and sizes, and looked like an Obroseon artist had spilled a rainbow over them and given them a random assortment of weapons. Black imagined this is how it looked when the first ten-thousand Guardians had arrived, and wondered if this is how the Keepers would have looked if they had been the ones to come here instead.

"Colonel Beals!" Whitestar shouted from below while waving his right arm. The Colonel glanced down at the group and smiled when he saw them. Black quickly lowered her head to avoid being recognized.

"Ah, White. Come to check out the new Guardians?"

"Waiting for a friend actually." White corrected.

"Interesting, so I can count on at least one Guardian being useful then?" The Colonel didn't sound at all displeased at the prospect of getting a new round of Guardians that may or may not be useful, instead he sounded pleased at the idea of a Guardian being recruited into what was obviously the Colonels favorite squad of Guardians.

"Yes sir." Whitestar answered in amusement.

"Alright well give me their name and I'll go ahead and add them to your roster so you're not stuck in line. Don't forget you have to prepare for the attack." Black was surprised that the Colonel was willing to trust Whitestar so readily.

"I appreciate that sir, that'll help us a lot."

"So whose your friend in the tarp?" Black tried to avoid tensing up at the Colonels question.

"She's a scavenger we found when retreating yesterday. Long story short sir she wants revenge." Black could tell that Whitestar was only lying when he said that she was a scavenger. The part about revenge was true, but she wasn't looking for revenge against the Thilan. _I shouldn't want revenge at all._

"I see, well if she's a scavenger I'll leave her in your care. But if I catch her stealing anything I'll kill her myself is that understood?" After a brief moment Black realized that Beals was addressing her and nodded.

Black felt the weight of getting caught lift from her shoulders. Between her hood and the tarp, no one had been able to recognize her. Short of anyone taking away her tarp or getting too close during a conversation her identity was safe. Still, Black couldn't wait to get back to the stolen TAT and away from the Sanctuary Army.

"So what's the name of the Guardian?" Colonel Beals asked.

"Try Rush Queen. I know she's coming but I don't know what she called herself." Whitestar answered. Black heard the sounds of commands on a datapad before a ringing sound rung out.

"Congratulations on the fifth member of Squad Keeper. Now if you'll excuse me I have to address our new recruits." Black heard the Colonel walking away from them and towards a new sound, the sound of thousands of footsteps coming towards them, followed by a loud, booming voice.

"Well if it isn't my little brother!" Black decided to risk a glance at the figure who ran up and crashed into Whitestar, embracing him in what looked like a half-hug half-tackle.

The woman looked older than the rest of the group, and was as tall as DJ, standing a head taller than the rest of the group. Similar to Whitestar and herself, Rush Queen didn't wear any external armor, dressed in a low cut dark purple T-shirt and a black cargo vest with small pouches that bulged out. She had a pair of fingerless leather gloves and a pair of black jeans, something Black never expected to see on a battlefield. But the one thing that caught Black's eye was the woman's face.

While nothing about her face stood out, as it almost looked like an exact copy of Whitestars average face, her eyes were narrower and blood red, with a matching color of goggles that sat on top of her short black hair. Rush Queen was grinning wildly, like nothing in the world could stop her, and if it had a chance she wouldn't have cared. Something about this woman made Black glad she was with them instead of against them.

"Rush do you _have_ to go shouting that we're related?" Whitestar groaned, pushing Rush away from him.

"Of course! No reason to hide that I'm the big sister of the Guardian that single handedly saved Firebase Zina."

"He wasn't alone you know." DJ spoke up with a snort. "Who do you think was driving that thing?"

"Yes and as I recall you took off like a mouse as soon as you fired." Rush reminded him with a smirk. DJ's eyes lit up and he opened his mouth to reply but Winston cut him off.

"We should get back to the _Liberator._ I imagine General Caelus will have sent the details of the attack over by now."

"If the General is ready to brief us shouldn't we head for the base?" Rush pointed out. DJ and Rose exchanged a worried glance.

"No." Whitestar spoke with authority, which surprised Black considering how much influence Rush clearly had on the group. "I'll explain on the way, but we can't go back to the base right now." Black quickly checked to make sure that Colonel Beals hadn't overheard any of their conversation, but when she looked he was busy shouting at the new Guardians. Content that he hadn't heard anything, she fell in line behind Whitestar. All the while she could feel the Rush Queen glancing at her with questions.

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, 1st Month, 23__rd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Near Coopers Inn, Obroseon_

_Time:__ 1:01 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

She stood on the large hotel that towered over Coopers Inn, looking down at the small, run down business that was no doubt doing to go out of business after the police discovered they were hiding a pair of criminals both charged with treason. It honestly was their own fault for getting involved, anyone who stood in the way of her mission was going to end up dead in the end.

Closing her eyes, she let her hair flow in the wind, taking a moment to savor the feeling. While she couldn't remember much about her past, she did remember feeling like a prisoner. Unable to feel the wind in her hair, the smell of the city, and the beautiful sight of the Obroseon skyline, it was a shame that it was going to have to be torn down soon. But it would be built back, more beautiful than ever.

Through her minor meditation, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Opening her eyes she turned her head to find a man several years older than her approaching. She tightened her grip on the massive scythe in her right hand, whose rounded point was dug into the hotel's roof. The time to enjoy the wind was over.

"Enjoying the wind again?" The man asked with a smirk.

"It gives me peace." She replied softly.

"Still trying to remember your past?"

"My questions remain unanswered, but they will not interfere with my mission." The man gave her a look of false promises. She was aware the man was using her as a tool, but it didn't matter. The man gave her life, and so it was her duty to be the man's arm, his hand, and his weapon.

"Answers will come in time." There was a moment of silence, and it was only broken by a gust of wind. "You remember the targets?"

"The former councilor and the hacker." She recalled. "They will not take long."

"Good, you have five minutes before the Keystone Forger returns. Be gone before the arrives." She lifted her scythe from the ground and jumped from the roof, allowing herself to be cloaked in a red light.

She had a job to do.

* * *

**Hope none of you thought I was letting you off easy this time. See you all next chapter :3**


	11. Chapter 11

**I've moved the Authors Notes to the bottom of the chapter. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Ghosts**

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, 1st Month, 23__rd__ day, 1017__th__ year D.A. (Dark Ages)_

_Location:__ Coopers Inn, Obroseon_

_Time:__ 13:04 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

Yeman had been working on his glorious plan to rescue the Keepers when the _thwipp_ of a short-range blinker caught his attention. The one glance to his right caused his whole body to freeze in shock. Standing before him was a figure in knee high white boots, shorts what were way too short to be worn in public, and a white and red unzipped jacket that revealed that the girl was wearing nothing but a white bikini. In the girls right hand was a massive white scythe that seemed to have a skeletal structure to it. Save for the scythe only two girls in the whole city wore that outfit. Her eyes glowed red, the right eye lit with a bright red flame.

White Rock Shooter, Black's dead twin sister.

With another flash of red light White blinked again, standing right in front of Yeman with scythe raised. The realization that he was about to get slashed to ribbons was enough to snap him out of his shock induced frozen state. Throwing himself backwards, Yeman fell out of his chair and dodged a downward slash that claimed the life of the chair's legs. Crashing to the ground, Yeman grunted as he landed hard on his left side. He doubted there would be any real damage but it still was enough to stun him for a brief moment.

A fast moving blur of white was enough to force Yeman to roll to his right, and the ringing of metal told him he had just avoided having his head split open. Trying not to think about what would happen if he made one wrong move, Yeman scrambled to his feet, backing himself up as he did so. In the confined space of the hotel room White had the advantage with training and short range teleportation. The only way Yeman walked out of this alive was if he managed to trick his assassin.

It had to have been the most unlucky time to be ambushed like this. Riho and her son Oris were out collecting the last of the supplies they'd need from their shop, and Pike had gone to get a drink from the vending machines in the lobby. Everyone who could've helped him out of this situation was out of the room.

Yeman saw a red flash that meant White was about to blink forward again, and he rolled forward diagonally, diving right past where the assassin reappeared. But when he felt the butt of a scythe slam into the center of his back Yeman crashed forward into another chair. His forehead screamed in pain and he could feel the blood start to trickle down his face. Now he most likely had a concussion and an injured back. The energy left his body as Yeman realized that he'd be dead in the next few seconds.

White Rock Shooter slowly walked towards Yeman, placing the blade of her weapon against Yeman's neck. Yeman closed his eyes and waited for darkness. He waited for a pain that never came.

When Yeman opened his eyes he felt the scythe's blade leave his neck as White Rock Shooter jumped backwards. At the same moment a hooded figure crashed through the wall and skidded to a halt where his assassin had been standing a second before.

The figure only stood one hundred and fifty eight microns tall dressed in a long black coat with various lines of white. They couldn't be much older than fifteen or sixteen from the looks of it. However what caught Yeman's attention were the massive metal gauntlets on the persons arms and the short vertebrae-like tail peeking out from the underside of the hoodie. He wore tall black boots that almost reminded him of the ones most of the Keepers wore.

The newcomers metal hands were clenched into fists and Yeman caught the figure glancing back at him briefly before returning their attention to White. The hooded newcomer jumped forward with their right fist pulled back, diving at the former Shooter with speed and strength that seemed to rival both the Keepers and the Guardians. White responded by disappearing in a small flash of red light, teleporting to a different location. However when Yeman desperately looked around the apartment, he couldn't' find any trace of her.

"That's it!?" The newcomer whined, the higher pitched teenage voice telling Yeman that 'he' was actually 'she'. "Aww man, and here I thought I'd finally found an opponent at my level!" The mysterious girl proceeded to stick her head out the window and shout "coward!" before letting out a long sigh.

Yeman blinked the blood from his right eye as a moment of silence fell over the room. He wondered which Guardian had been recalled from the front lines and why they were standing in his hotel room. It was obvious this girl wasn't a Keeper, she had too much personality and Yeman didn't recognize her. _Could she have been sent by the council to track me down? But how did they know I was here!?_ Yeman's voice was caught in his throat as he realized he had just gone from a life-threatening situation to another crisis. Only plus was that this girl wasn't trying to kill him – yet.

"So uhh, are you okay? Gonna say anything? Maybe a thanks for saving your ass?" The girl grinned at him, tossing a box of tissues that had been knocked to the floor. A view of her front side revealed a set of bright orange eyes and snow white hair. Everything about this girl seemed a little backwards. But she was right, this girl had arrived at the perfect moment. The girl let out another long sigh as Yeman started cleaning the blood from his face, the pain in his back becoming nothing more than a small ache.

"Alright fine, I'll start. My name's Strength. I'm fifteen, I like punching things, sports, and traveling." There was another moment of silence. Strength's eyes narrowed. "This is kind of the part when you introduce yourself. Geez first Riho screams at me to get over here and now I have to deal with you! I don't get you Obroseon types."

"Riho sent you?" Yeman asked finally, picking himself up off the floor.

"No you ass, I was sent by the ghost of your dead grandmother. Of course I was sent by Riho!"

"How do I know you're not a Guardian sent by the council to kill me?" Yeman asked, holding a fourth tissue to his head. Thankfully it seemed the

"Well first off if I wanted you dead I'd have watched that other girl kill you while I watched. Sitting in a chair with a bag of popcorn and laughing my ass off I might add. Secondly the council doesn't know that Black left last night to go track down a bunch of teenagers on the front lines with nothing but the cannon on her back."

Yeman let out a sigh of relief. The only people who had any knowledge of Black's plans were himself, Pike, and Riho. And if there was one thing he knew about Riho, it's that she would die before revealing anything to anyone.

"So you're name?" Strength asked again. "Or do I need to start calling you by some shitty nickname?" _Strong language for a girl of only fifteen._ Yeman noticed. _Who raised this girl?_

"Yeman Aland, former councilor of Obroseon." Yeman placed an open hand in front of him, however Strength didn't shake it. Instead she scowled at the ground.

"Damn I just saved a former councilor? Jacob's not gonna be happy 'bout that."

"What the hell happened in here?" Yeman turned around to find a stunned Pike standing in the doorway with a can of juice in his hand. Giving the room a second look Yeman realized that there was a lot more damage than he originally thought. Two of the chairs for the counter had been cut in two, both windows as well as a massive chunk of the wall was missing, and last but not least was a long gash in the floor. Yeman glared at Strength.

"You could've caused a little but less damage." He pointed out. Strength rolled her eyes.

"Yeah and had I taken a second longer you'd be walking around without a head. " She retorted.

"Hello! I'm still here!" Pike reminded them. "And I still need to know how we lost a flipping wall while I was out getting something to drink! A trip that lasts for five minutes mind you! _Five minutes!_"

"White Rock Shooter showed up." Yeman answered grimly.

"Say again?" Pike sounded both confused and surprised.

"Black's dead sister just tried to kill me!" Yeman said more firmly. Pike looked from Yeman to Strength and back again.

"Damn I must have had way too much to drink last night." Yeman resisted the urge to roll his eyes and slap the hacker.

"Wait are you telling me you almost got killed by a ghost!?" Strength exclaimed.

"That was no ghost." Yeman said with the shake of his head. "Somehow the Thilans are involved in whatever conspiracy is going on in the council."

"Just goes to show that you can't trust politicians." Strength commented bitterly. Yeman ignored her.

"So what the Thilan's got their hands on White's dead body and brought it back to life like those idiot mad-men are doing?" Pike scratched the front of his head and adjusted his glasses. "Geez if I didn't see any records of this it must have been a well kept secret."

"Or White could have been the first test of that revival machine." Yeman pointed out. "Then given to the Thilan's in exchange for whatever mind control probes they used on the rest of the Keepers."

"We don't even know if those probes are Thilan technology." Pike countered.

"And all the records say that there wasn't anything left of White's body after the explosion!" Yeman shouted. It took him a minute to realize the elevation in his volume, and realized that he was clenching his fists so hard his knuckles were turning white. Taking a few deep breaths, Yeman let his shoulders and hands relax.

The last two days had been the biggest shit-storm of his life, and Yeman's thought process wasn't doing a good job of keeping up. Everything choice he was making was rash and foolhardy, and his problem solving ability was showing the same signs. If he wanted to _really_ figure out how White Rock Shooter had come back from the dead and why she was working for the Thilan Empire, he needed a cool head and more information.

"Look." Yeman continued. "We'll meet up with Riho and get out of town, that way we won't have to worry about the Obroseon PD while we figure this out."

"And what about our new friend?" Pike asked. "I doubt leaving the city will be enough for the Thilans to turn a blind eye."

"That's why you're not just running out of here without a plan." Strength cut in with a grin on her face.

"Wait are you saying that you know a place where the Thilan won't follow us!?" Pike asked hopefully.

"Yeah, Lara," Strength snickered, and the color drained from Pike's face.

"Lara?" Pike repeated.

"That's right Hacker Boy. Time to face the music."

At first Yeman didn't understand what was going on, but then he remembered that Pike was wanted by four of the seven major gangs on Blue Rift. All seven were located in the city of criminals, Lara.

"You're a member of Jacob Lara's gang." Yeman realized, turning to Strength. Strength smirked.

"You're smarter than you look. His daughter actually."

"You're _Jacob's_ kid?" Pike repeated again. Strength laughed.

"Yup! Originally I was here to pick up a delivery from the Rock Queen, but once I learned you were in town I figured I'd bring my old man something nice." If Pike could have gotten any paler, Yeman guessed he would have. Clearly going to Lara wasn't an option for the hacker. But it was that or face down the Obroseon PD and White.

"Oh this is just great." Pike muttered. "Yeman, remind me to never work with you again. Every single time I work with you on something I get burned for it."

"Hey it's your own fault." Strength said stretching her arms. "You were the one to hack into every computer in Lara and steal our money and weapon blueprints."

"If I didn't I was going to get shot!" Pike protested.

"Then you should've gotten shot." Strength retorted.

"I see you've gotten acquainted with Yeman and Pike." A voice called from down the hall. Yeman leaned over and saw Riho walking down the hall towards the room with Oris on her heels.

Riho had clearly used her trip back to the shop to get a change in outfit. Riho's usual messy, torn up cargo pants and raggedy old shirt were replaced with a set of expensive bright blue jeans, a T-shirt with the Sanctuary Army logo, a pair of black sunglasses and a black beanie. Her shoulder length hair also now had a long streak of dark blue on her left side.

Oris however wasn't too different, and it actually looked like he'd been rushed to get out of the shop, as he was still wearing the well worn brown cargo pants and long sleeve gray shirt that Yeman saw him wear every day in the shop.

"Yeah and you were right about getting over here." Strength admitted reluctantly, not even bothering with any kind of a formal 'hello.'

"I can tell. You only break walls when you're late." Riho said with a smirk, slipping past Pike to inspect the broken wall.

"At least I bothered to show up at all. Remember that I don't take orders from you." Strength replied.

"So White Rock Shooter's back I hear?" Riho asked, still looking at the massive hole in the wall.

"Yeah, but she's using a scythe and a Thilan Blinker now." Yeman explained. "Her entire fighting style is different, not that I had much time to look at it properly."

"Not surprising, White was trained as an assassin not a shooter." Riho seemed to be talking to herself. "Never thought they'd try anything this bold though, usually Thilan assassins are better informed."

"Wait did you know White Rock Shooter was in the city?" Pike asked angrily.

"I wasn't sure it was her and I'm still not." Riho shot back. "We don't know enough about the Thilan's. That could just as easily have been a tank-breed soldier made to look like White to get in our heads. The only way to know for sure would be to capture and interrogate her."

"You can't be serious." Pike protested. Riho shook her head.

"I am but now right now. First we need to go talk with Jacob and rally the gangs against the council."

"I thought we agreed the plan was to talk to the Guardians?" Yeman reminded her. Riho let out an annoyed sigh.

"Have you _met_ any of the Guardians? They think this whole damn war is a game. Their blind to what's really going on. Besides the army has them under lock and key, no way you'd get within a thousand mechrons of them. Besides Jacob's gang has the best information network on the continent. They knew about the plan to repurpose the Keepers before you did." Yeman raised an eyebrow.

"You're not the only one who wants to see the Keepers go free." Strength put in. "Jacob and I have our own reasons for going along with this crazy revolution of yours."

"It's not a revolution." Yeman corrected immediately. "It's…" Yeman didn't know how to describe what he was doing. Heck he didn't even really know himself. He knew he wanted to free the Keepers and put them on the front lines and stop them from killing each other, and that meant weeding out whatever group was behind this plot.

But what was that going to take? They had control of the government, the army, and the new Guardians. They were the ones in charge of Blue Rift. They called the shots. Yeman slowly realized that what he needed to do _was _essentially start a revolution. The weight of the realization hit Yeman hard, and he found himself slumping into the last intact chair.

"Seems you figured out what freeing the Keepers is gonna take. Get used to it." Strength walked past Pike and down the hall towards the main lobby. "So are we gonna stand here all day or are we going to go!"

Yeman exchanged a glance with Pike, and his facial expression matched his feelings. What the hell had they gotten themselves into?

* * *

_Location:__ Obroseon Flats, Southeastern Obroseon Territory_

_Time:__ One Hour Later._

Yeman spent most of the last hour sitting in silence. His brain processing everything that had happened over the last two days, from the news that the Keepers would be turned into a spectator sport to rescuing Black and almost getting assassinated the day after, all of it needed processing.

_Revolution_.

The word echoed in his head again and again. Yeman didn't know anything about leading an army. His job had been managing researchers and relaying data to the council. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Hell it was probably a job that a restraunt manager could pull off. Now he was walking into a world he knew very little about. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

Everyone else was busy doing their own thing. Since there were only five seats in Riho's Boltway he, Strength, and Pike were all cramped together in the back while Riho and Oris enjoyed the luxury of space in the driver and passenger seats. Yeman sat in between Strength and Pike to prevent the two from fighting, although the sweating hacker on his right was more concerned with his elaborate escape plan to worry about fighting with the girl on his left.

Strength also seemed to be ignoring Pike as well. No longer wearing her gauntlets, she and Oris were chatting up a storm about anything and everything. Recent events, accomplishments, comparing lifestyles and the pain of their parents, the last one earned Oris several light punches on the arm. To Yeman it seemed that these two were old friends. He wanted to ask about it but it felt wrong for him to pry into Riho's history.

Riho herself was for the most part silent, except when she needed to correct Oris on some of his wild stories or punch him. Yeman caught her glancing out the window or through the mirror, like she was expecting White Rock Shooter to hunt them down while they were traveling at over () mechrons per hour.

Finally though, Riho hushed the teenagers and started a conversation of your own.

"So then Yeman, how are you holding up?" She asked, looking in the rear-view mirror at Yeman. Yeman sighed.

"Honestly? I'm freaking out. I had no idea things would escalate this quickly."

"You always were a naive councilor." Yeman bit back a retort. After all she did have a point. The only thing Yeman had ever accomplished was getting the Keepers new weapons and making sure the scientists didn't go too far.

"I don't know how I'm going to handle something like this. If anything my field was science, not war." Yeman admitted. Riho let out an amused snort.

"Buddy if you think we're going to put you in the leadership position for this whole thing just because you were the one closest to the Keepers you got another thing coming."

"Take it from me man, you're good with people but you suck at leadership." Pike chimed in, his voice still hesitant. "After all look what you got me into!"

"So he can't fight, he can't lead, and all he did at that Keeper complex was direct a bunch of scientists? Why the hell did I save this man's ass if he's totally useless! He doesn't even have his old connections as a councilor!" Strength's comment stung Yeman more than anything else. It stung not because of the insult itself, but because it was true. In school Yeman had studied politics and how to work with people, but now all of that was useless because of his criminal status.

Riho's eyes narrowed. "Strength you of all people should know that when a General asks their troops to do something it's for a reason. Now I want you to think long and hard, why would I ask you to save a man like Yeman?"

At first Strength looked like she wanted to hit Riho for asking such a question. One that obviously embarrassed the young adolescent, but as time passed her expression changed from anger to thoughtfulness.

"Because he knows where Black is?" Strength guessed.

"But I told you where Black was before you saved Yeman." Riho pointed out.

"Because a man who cares for the Keepers as much as Yeman does will be more determined than anyone to find a solution." Oris answered. "It also makes him the perfect man to manage the Keepers should we succeed."

"That's right Oris. Should this get to the point where everything goes to shit and we're minutes away from being killed, a man like Yeman – no matter how unskilled – can create some strange miracles. He might be willing to take on the missions no one else will, or can. But there's one thing both of you missed."

A moment of silence passed as both teenagers struggled to come up with an answer, and even Yeman didn't know the answer. _Why would Riho save me?_ Yeman asked himself. _What do I have that could be of value, something no one else has… Of course!_

"Keytonium." Strength said suddenly. "If Yeman was the man in charge of the Keepers then he must have had access to Keytonium!" Riho smiled in approval.

"Two for two well done. Only councilors have direct access to Keytonium, and since we don't know which councilors are traitors, it's in our best interest to keep Yeman here alive. Well for now anyway."

"Yeah but Yeman is a criminal now, so he won't have access to any Keytonium." Strength pointed out. "So unless he has some secret stash somewhere he's still useless."

"You forget that under the Accused Family Protection Act the council can't close his family's bank accounts for seven days." Pike reminded her, crunching on a cracker. "That way the family of the accused person can claim the money. Yeman's old man was smart enough to put his _entire _stash of Keytonium into his bank account."

"Yeah but the accused person can't access the account. Duh." Strength retorted before sticking her tongue out at Pike. The young hacker grinned and gave a sideways glance at Strength, bits of cracker in his teeth.

"Did you forget who I am already? If Yeman gives me the account password it'll be easy to get the Keytonium transferred to one of my dummy accounts. Then one of us just has to pick up the goods. And before you start whining about how Keytonium transfers are illegal and heavy tracked remember how 'impossible' it was to hack into Lara's entire computer network." Strength looks like she wanted to hit Pike.

"Of course that means Yeman's still useless after we get his money." Strength muttered.

Yeman resisted his urge to smile. Despite all the grief Strength had given him in the little over an hour that he'd known her, Strength had a charm of her own. Arrogant, moody, and filled with the desire to always be right in some form, but still a loyal kid from the looks of it.

Naturally that reminded him of his curiosity regarding Strengths history. The girl had the strength of a Keeper and the confidence of one too. Then there was the fact that Riho _sent_ Strength into a situation where the presence of an Elite Thilan soldier was all but confirmed. So who was Strength, and where did she come from?

"So there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Pike breaking the silence drew Yeman out of his thoughts. "How the hell do you know the daughter of the most powerful crime lord on Blue Rift?"

"What, you mean that _wasn't_ in my file?" Riho taunted. "The great hacker Pike doesn't know how I have ties to Jacob Lara, I'd never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah, like the words 'connections to top criminal' would be in a file with a near perfect record." Pike retorted.

"Funny considering your history. I'm surprised you haven't put the pieces together yet." Riho chuckled in amusement, sending Pike into a frenzy.

"What the hell! I think I would have known if I was dealing with an ass like you!"

"Yeah well clearly not Mr. Too Stupid to Remember." Strength said with a wild grin. "Does the name Rock Queen ring a bell?" Pike stared at the back of Riho's seat with wide eyes.

"Wait, that was _you?_"

"I can't believe that you didn't think it was me from the beginning!" Riho laughed. "What did you think there were two Keytonium Weaponsmiths?"

"It was a possibility." Pike muttered.

"You've worked with Pike before?" Yeman asked with a questioning glance at Riho.

"Only in secret. Whenever I'm doing anything off-grid I go by the name Jacob gave me several years ago."

"But you said there wasn't any Keytonium left!" Yeman said in disbelief.

"I lied." Riho replied simply, reaching for another cigarette. "You know you really shouldn't trust people so much." _Thanks for the tip._ Yeman thought bitterly.

Yeman couldn't exactly blame Riho for lying about any leftover Keytonium, it was his fault for not knowing anything about the element and therefore making it easy for Riho to give him a value that was bigger than what she actually needed to make the first set of Keeper weapons.

It still came as a surprise that she had ties to the number one most wanted man on Blue Rift, but he wasn't ready to ask about that yet. Yeman guessed that her ties to the criminal underworld came shortly after her ejection from the front lines, and was probably a touchy subject. Either way knowing didn't do anything for their present task. Besides the five of them still had a three day long drive ahead of them to reach the edge of the continent and the secret location of the biggest city of crime on Blue Rift. He did _not_ need to piss off the one person who had the best connections and was willing to help him out.

"That being said it was probably for the best that I took the extra Keytonium." Riho continued.

"And why's that?" Yeman dared to inquire.

"That extra Keytonium led to a trip to Lara a few weeks after our contract was finished. At first Jacob just wanted to buy the Keytonium from me to give to a Weaponsmith that specialized in Rock Cannons." Oris let out a small laugh.

"Show's what he knew." Yeman's eyebrows went up.

Riho chuckled. "I said that whatever that Rock Cannon his 'smith made I could do ten times better. So he challenged me to make a Rock Cannon pistol, something that even the Thilan's hadn't been able to accomplish."

"The look on that old 'smiths face was priceless!" Strength laughed.

Yeman had seen Riho's pistol in action back at the second Keeper Facility, so he knew the rest of the story, but that didn't seem to stop Riho from pressing on with it anyway.

"Needless to say I did it, and became that scoundrels new favorite Keystone Weaponsmith. Ended up making those massive Gauntlets sitting in the trunk, might honestly be my most impressive piece of work."

"Hey don't take all the credit, it was Oris's idea!" Strength pointed out with an annoyed expression. A glance at Oris revealed that he was trying to shrink down in his seat.

"It's not that big of a deal, Riho did all the work." He replied modestly. Riho dismissed it with a wave of her hand, leaving a trail of smoke in the air from the cigarette in between her fingers.

"Nonsense, your idea for combining a four-barrel machine gun and a set of boxing gloves was excellent. There wasn't a better design that fit Strength aggressive personality." Oris sunk further into his seat and Strength looked out the window. In the back of his mind Yeman wondered if there could be something between the two teenagers.

"So that means that there _are_ other Keystone Weaponsmiths." Pike observed.

"None worth mentioning." Riho responded dismissively. "None of them could make a Rock Cannon with even half the caliber of the Black Rock Cannon, let alone my upgraded version that was given to that Guardian kid.

Yeman shot Riho a look of surprise and interest. "What sort of upgrades?"

"I replaced the rock generator with a plasma." Riho explained. "Less time spent of forming your shot and more time shooting, somewhat better heat management too."

"Wait, why the hell didn't my Ogre Arms get plasma generators!?" Strength asked. "It's such a pain in the ass to get rounds made for those things!"

"For the same reason you didn't get a rock generator." Riho replied calmly. "Too heavy. Generators are meant for single shot weapons, not automatic machine guns."

"I'm looking into it, I'm sure that eventually we can get a plasma generator installed in your Ogre Arms." Yeman could have sworn he saw Strength blush but a quick motion from Riho caught his attention.

"Only if you start taking your lessons seriously lady killer!" Riho scolded with a smirk.

"Yes ma'am." Oris replied sheepishly. All the talk about Rock Cannons caused Yeman's thoughts to drift back to Black and her hunt for Squad Keeper. It would still be another day or so before Black made it to Khua, and it would be even longer before Yeman would hear any news from that region.

"So you're saying that Black is hunting down a guy whose weapons are superior to hers?" Yeman asked, hiding his increasing concern for Black.

"I doubt she's stupid or desperate enough to try and take on four well armed Guardians directly." Riho assured him. "Relax worry-wart, next we hear of Black she'll have dealt with Whitestar one way or another and be working on a plan to free the other Keepers."

_What does Riho mean by 'one way or another?' _Yeman wondered. _I know she met Squad Keeper just before I approached her, so does she know something I don't?_ Yeman didn't bother to ask what Riho was talking about. It wasn't like she'd give him a straight answer. He'd just have to wait and see. _And how will she react when she learns that White may be alive?_

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua, near Firebase Zina_

_Time:__ Roughly 1:15pm P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

_Whitestar_

White wondered if taking Black out to meet Rush had been a good idea. Her shoulders had been tense and her eyes darting left and right ever since they had gotten to the destroyed train stop. Things had almost taken a turn for the worst when Beals had asked about her, and even with the story they had come up with White had his doubts. It _looked_ like Beals had bought the story, but White didn't want to take any more chances in the future.

His sister also seemed to have a genuine interest in Black, and was dying to be given an explanation. White had made sure to shoot her a warning glance that would prevent any questions until they were a safe distance away. The last thing they needed was to draw more attention and risk exposing Black.

Since they had another fifty minutes to kill before the repairs to the _Liberator_ were done White figured it would be a good time to pull the whole group aside and get everything out in the open and all their facts straight. Something had been nagging at Black all morning, and Rush didn't even know who Black was.

Settling for what looked like an abandoned café a few blocks from both the bunker and the station, White had everyone pull up whatever intact chairs they could and put them in a group in a corner of the café. To make sure that no one could overhear their conversation, White had everyone except Black check their surroundings before actually sitting down. A ten minute search turned up nothing and earned him a comment from DJ about being paranoid but it was better safe than sorry.

"So you mind telling me why you dragged me out here to an abandoned coffee shop before letting me ask about _anything?_" Rush asked in a low, frustrated tone that warned White that he could get punched at any moment.

White glanced at Black and motioned with his hand for her to take her improvised cloak off, but the Keeper remained unmoving without saying a word. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she didn't trust Rush.

"She's my sister, its fine." White reasoned. After another moment of silence without movement, he could feel the frustration coming off Rush in waves.

"I doubt she trusts any of us." Rose pointed out. "The only reason she's tagging along is because we're the best shot at freeing the Keepers."

"I'm sorry what?" Rush cut in with a snort. "Please tell me I didn't hear that correctly. Are you trying to tell me that you're big secret is a crazy plan to break into the coliseum and quote 'free the Keepers?'" A quick glance around the table showed a mix of embarrassed and nervous looks. "White I know we've done some crazy shit in the past but this is on a _whole_ different level. For one the second you turn traitor you get unplugged by the system, and on top of that assuming you _were_ to succeed in breaking in without getting deleted, the Keepers were _programmed_ to be a spectator event! I don't know what crazy, idiotic forum page got you to come up with this plan but-"

"You think the Keepers _want_ to be stuck in that pit of pain and suffering?" Black spat with more emotion in her voice than White had ever heard her use. Her head was now raised and she was staring Rush in the eye, causing the new Guardian to pause, but only for a second before turning to White.

"Who the hell is this by the way, the one who dragged you into this suicidal crusade!? I did not come down here to jump into a pointless death run." DJ and Rose both looked uncomfortable and remained silent, and Winston's expression was blank. White knew he wasn't going to be getting any help from them. White couldn't blame them, standing up to his sister was something most people couldn't handle considering how strong her personality was.

Black answered before he had a chance, her eye igniting and her tarp flying across the room as her cannon whipped out from the holster and sat inches from Rush's face. Everything froze. _God dammit!_ White thought. _This is _so_ not how I wanted this to go!_

"Would everyone please shut _the fuck up already_!" White shouted, suppressing the urge to smack Black's cannon away from Rush, who now sat with a stunned look on her face, not like one of those looks where you just lost a laptop or a large check, but one where you lost your job when you've been a loyal employee for ten years.

"Black calm down, Rush doesn't know what we know yet!" Rose said with a small squeak. White didn't let any kind of tense silence sit in the room, it was too much of an uncertainty. On top of that explaining how Rush got her head blown off so fast to Beals would be a pain in the butt.

"Rush, Black Rock Shooter. Black Rock Shooter, my moronic and hard headed sister Rush." White shot Rush a glare. "I assume this clears up why we're trying to do something stupid?"

"No, not really." Rush replied flatly. "How the hell is she here?" Her tone said it all. Clearly she thought that White and crew had already somehow convinced Black to go with them and break out of the stadium. Somewhat true, but they weren't responsible for the breakout.

White realized that he had jumped from his seat somewhere in the middle of all the chaos and was wound up tighter then a knot. Letting out a deep breath and sitting back down, he tried to shut out the cannon being stuck in his sisters face.

"Well we didn't do what you're implying first of all." White began. "We were a little too busy with a Thilan T.A.T. factory is you recall." From there White launched into the whole story from the point when they got off the train, the special assignment from Beals, the attack on the T.A.T. factory, stealing the _Liberator,_ and finally getting randomly attacked by Black in the middle of the street.

"You know what happened from there. We blew up the other Thilan T.A.T.'s and survived an ambush by a group of Thilan Elite's, where Black probably saved our butts mind you."

"That still doesn't explain why she's here now." Rush retorted.

"That's something she hasn't told us yet." White countered.

"Then you need to shut up. Something's wrong here and I need to get to the bottom of it."

"C…can someone please fill me in on what the hell is going on?" DJ asked nervously.

"I would but I think our friend here would shoot me before I could finish." Rush snorted.

"Black please put the cannon away, Rush gets really pissed when things like this happen without her knowledge. She's just worried about us." White reasoned. They needed to clean the air, and that meant knowing and understanding what his sister's concerns were, and then Black telling her story. All _without_ someone losing their head. Black however, wasn't lowering her cannon.

"Black please, there's a reasonable explanation for the way Rush thinks. I know it's still wrong but she won't understand unless we explain it." White pressed, hoping that Black would see reason. Not easily considering her fits of rather strong emotion. However this time his words must have clicked, because Black slowly returned her cannon to her back and sat down, her face expressionless. White resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief. They were out of imminent danger but the threat hadn't passed yet. They still had to trust that the stories the other told were true.

"So why are you so upset Rush?" Winston asked. "You may be hot-headed but this much anger is unusual, even if you're worried about White."

Rush sighed. "I worked on the coding for BRSO. The Keepers were nothing more than a spectator sport. They had no lines of dialogue or any dialogue engine. Theoretically they were never supposed to leave the Grand Stadium, and they wouldn't want to. Lore said that the Keepers were supposed to enjoy their job." Rush glanced at Black. "Obviously not."

White knew this was big, not just because there was a massive miscommunication in Fulldrive but also because that meant there was a _massive_ system bug if Black was breaking out of the stadium and trying to kill him, and also acting like a person instead of an NPC programmed for nothing but combat.

"What about Black's sister?" White asked. "Was there any mentioning of her?" Rush looked at White in confusion.

"What sister?" White's only reaction was surprise.

"Weren't you the head of your department?" White asked.

"There wasn't a line of code that I didn't know about." Rush responded firmly.

"So nothing about a back-story about Black losing her sister in some training accident?"

"None." White ran a hand through his hair and let out a large sigh.

"Wow sis you _really_ need to go talk to your boss then." White's attempt at a joke was held back by the long sigh that came with it and the stress in his voice. Something was seriously wrong with the game, not that White thought this 'bug' was a bad thing. What worried him was the result when this bug was discovered.

"I think I need to make a phone call." Rush said flatly, but her attention was drawn to Winston before she could do anything.

"You still need to listen to Black's story before you do anything."

"And none of the whole 'this shouldn't be happening' bullshit. I don't want your Guardians face blown off while you try to make that call." White added quickly. Rush glared at White, obviously unhappy that he had read her mind so easily. It was something White did often when Rush got upset. While he often paid for it later, it was _very_ useful for keeping her in check.

"Fine I'll listen, but don't expect me to go along with any of this."

White turned to Black. "So how _did_ you get out of that stadium?"

Black looked from White to Rush, and for a moment White wasn't sure she was going to answer the question. It wasn't easy to read Black's expression, but the lack of emotion, the explanation Rush just gave, and Black reaction to DJ's comment the night before didn't give White a good feeling. Sure enough he was proven right after a few moments when Black tried to jump out of her chair and dart towards the exit. Anticipating the move, White grabbed the tail end of her jacket and pulled Black backwards. The move must have caught the Keeper by surprise, because she snapped backwards and fell on her rear.

"Not a chance." White said with a small grin. "I get that you probably don't trust us now more than ever, but if you're going to ditch us I want to know why first."

Instead of a verbal reply Black went right for her cannon, pulling it right in front of White's face with a familiar blue glow coming from the barrel. _O shi-_

BLAM.

White opened his eyes to first find that his face wasn't blown off. The second thing he noticed was Rush standing next to Black's cannon, the butt end of a long staff against the side of it. The cannon itself had shifted six inches to White's right, causing the shot to graze DJ and explode into the wall behind him.

"How about a little warning next time!" DJ shouted angrily. "Why are the hot chicks always so dangerous! Ouf!" White figured the grunt had to have been Rose punching his perverted friend in the gut, but his focused remained on Black, who in those few seconds had pulled back her cannon, pulled herself free of White and had whipped out her Katana from her jacket. _What the hell is her problem?_ White wondered as Black stared down Rush. _After one simple explanation she loses her cool!_

White wondered if it was the idea that Rush treated BRSO for what it was, a game instead of being reality. But why would Black get upset over that? She obviously thought this was reality, and in a strange sort of way it was. It was about perspective. From Rush's point of view, fixing the 'bug' and returning Black to her original state was nothing more than fixing a problem and returning the game to normal functionality. But to Black, a bugfix meant that she would go back to being a slave of the Keeper Battles and her belief that the Keepers needed rescuing would be gone.

Vaguely aware that Black had thrown herself at Rush, White wondered what he should do. Normally he'd jump in and stand side by side with Rush to take down Black, but the last few hours had sparked something in White. He didn't know why, but he felt like more was going on here than a simple bug and a strange character. Something about Black's story seemed real, and the rest of the team had felt it too.

But White needed more than that if he was going to side with Black. He needed a logical reason. Somehow, Black had been given the same advanced programming that drove the rest of the world, and BRSO was supposed to be self evolving. But clearly Rush hadn't programmed the game to go this far. So why was any of this happening? Could someone have altered the code to give Black a back-story and personality?

Even if someone had it didn't give White any answers and sure as hell didn't give him a reason to jump in. So why was every fiber in his being wanting to help the Keeper instead of his own kin? _Ah fuck it._ White finally thought with an angry inward sigh. _Why the hell do I do anything anymore? All I know is that my gut's telling me something's not right and dammit I'm gonna find out why._

A sharp movement and a crashing sound caught White's attention, and he looked up to find Black on the ground, her back against a sideways table with Rush slowly walking towards her.

"Oh no her leg!" White heard Rose whisper. Rush walked right up in front of Black, who tried to whip out her cannon but couldn't get it out from behind her with her back right against the table. Rush raised her staff high over her head, clearly with the intent of killing Black. Not giving himself the chance for second thoughts, White quickly pulled his cannon out and shot Rush as she was bringing her staff down. The impact sent her flying into the front wall of the shop a few feet away.

"What the hell White?" DJ shouted in surprise.

"I'm not standing here and watching this!" White retorted sharply. "Bug or not it's not right to just show up and call someone a mistake!"

"Regardless shooting your sister will have lasting consequences." Winton pointed out. "And Black won't remember any of this once the game gets patched."

"But we'll remember." White spat. "And I'd rather remember doing the right thing alright? Besides didn't I already promise Black that we'd help her out?"

"You promised a computer program!" Rush spat from the far side of the room. White glared at her.

"Yeah one that can clearly think for itself, program or not dumbass!" White shot back. "I'm asking you to trust me on this one. Now we can sit down and talk about this like civilized people or we can continue to act like immature five year olds!" Rush looked like she wanted to kill White, but after a few moments let out a sigh of defeat and hobbled over back to her chair, her right leg limping. _Good, now the both of them have o sit down._

White returned his cannon to his backside and offered Black a hand, which much to his surprise she took, leaning on him for support until they got back to the table in the corner of the room. DJ and Rose still looked surprised beyond belief at what White had done, while Winston nodded in approval. It was good to know that at least one of his friends had his back.

"Alright Rush, mind explaining why this is such a big deal?" Winston asked. "Why is this 'bug' such a disaster?"

"This game is my first professional work!" Rush said angrily, leaning back into her chair. "The fact that a bug this big got in after triple checking _everything_ for the past two weeks pisses me off!"

"So you're mad because things aren't working the way their supposed to?" Winston clarified.

"No shit!"

"But is this bug really so bad? The Keepers are more complex, have a back-story, and it gives the game a hidden, major quest to follow." Winston pressed. Rush opened her mouth to respond but paused. After a few moments her mouth shut again and she slumped in her chair, trying to find an answer.

"This 'hidden quest' you're talking about could get Guardians banned for no reason."

"Yes, but we're the ones on this quest and you're a GM. If anything does go to crap you have a lot of leeway on it. That or you can talk to the design team and work to make this an actual part of the game." Winston reasoned.

"Can I just point out that this is way too big to be a bug?" DJ jumped in. "Bugs are like, White's cannon not shooting or people randomly dying if they walk on a certain spot on the map and do ten jumping jacks. Not re-writing the Keepers!"

"That's what pisses me off the most! This whole thing spontaneously came out of nowhere!" Rush pounded her fists on the table.

"Were the Keepers ever supposed to get a back-story?" Rose asked.

"There was some talk about giving them one, but nothing like a Keeper having a dead sister." Rush sighed. "I need to make a phone call." With that Rush's Guardian body went limp, and White let out a sigh.

"Sorry about all that." White apologized to Black. "Since it's her first 'work' she's really passionate about it. Hearing that something this big slipped by her really freaked her out." White tried to laugh, but it didn't come.

"You really believe this is a game?" Black asked quietly.

"To be brutally honest, yes." Winston answered before anyone else had a chance to reply. "Marketed, sold, and played like one. However if there's one thing I can now safely say, it's that this is way bigger than we think it is."

"Bro, what the hell are you talking about? The last ten minutes have given me a bigger headache than the last forty-eight hours combined." DJ complained, rubbing his head.

"Think about it, the Keepers turning on each other, Black showing up trying to kill White, a shop NPC having _that _much personality. If I didn't know any better I'd say Fulldrive didn't just create a game, they created a virtual reality."

"What about Rush? She's the one who coded the whole damn thing!" DJ reminded him. "If it was a virtual reality, she'd know!"

"Not if the official 'game code' was just a front."

"Are you seriously turning into one of those guys whose paranoid that the government is running secret experiments!?" DJ said, looking wide eyed at Winston.

"It may be possible that our world contacted yours." Black suggested. DJ stared at her like she was crazy.

"Can we all just take a chill pill and come back to reality? You guys are talking science fiction here!"

"I cannot be certain, but I remember hearing about a project to travel to other worlds during my training." Black returned DJ's glare as she spoke. Rose sighed.

"We are so in over our heads here. Either way what do we do now?"

"One of a number of things happen. One, Rush reports this whole thing to Fulldrive, they discover that they've used the wrong copy of the game in their release and everything shuts down for a week while they fix it." White saw Black glare at him. "Two, Fulldrive uses this copy of the game and things proceed like normal." Black's right arm started twitching. "Or three, the most likely, Winston's right and this is some crazy VR experiment, in which case real lives are going to be at stake here."

"So now you're calling VR reality?" DJ exclaimed.

"An A.I. can think for itself just like a human can, and everyone clearly has a sense of emotion. I'm with White, we assume that this world is real and play it that way, in which case we're dealing with a classic case of corrupt government."

"We're so fucked." DJ moanded.

"But no matter what we're sticking to the original plan." Rose stated firmly. "Besides, that's the most fun option."

"This is all way over my head." DJ stressed, earning him a slap from Rose.

"Just think of it this way, we're planning on the world itself. NPC's, Blue Rift, and every other player out there in an attempt to take down a corrupt government and rescue a bunch of hot chicks."

"Now _that_ sounds like a plan!" DJ grinned, and White rolled his eyes. Leave it to Rose to break it down for the dumb, reckless one.

"So to answer your question Black. This isn't a game anymore, but we're sure as hell going to play it like one." When Black's eyes narrowed he continued. "Anything else and we wouldn't be giving it our all!" While the answer wasn't the perfect one, it was at least honest.

"You sound like an idiot White." Rose muttered. "Can't you just say that we're on Black's side?"

"Speaking of Black's side." Winston cut in, looking at the Keeper. "We need to hear your side of the story. Every detail could help us out." There was a short pause before Black answered.

"Very well, although I'm unsure it would help our current situation."

"Anything on why the Keepers turn against each other that night, or how you got out." White explained. "If someone helped you or you know why things went so badly in that arena, it could help us start coming up with a plan."

"Very well, then I shall start with what happened in the arena." Black explained what the plan had been in the arena, to blow a hole in the wall and escape that way. When that had failed something had caused the Keepers to turn violent and start fighting against one another. Most of this was old news to White, but it was confirmation that they hadn't just been seeing things.

The next part of the story was where things got interesting. Black met a man named Sy, who apparently started trying to become friends 'or something' with her. The way she described it made it look like Sy was sympathetic to the Keepers. _A potential ally._

Black then described her second night in the arena, which raised questions since all the Keepers had supposedly participated in the first battle. That's when Black revealed that they had revived Dead Master.

"What!" DJ exclaimed. "They brought back someone from the dead?"

"Only to have them kill each other again." Rose whispered before pounding her fist on her leg. "How cruel can they be?"

"So who won?" White asked, careful to keep his voice neutral.

"It was a tie." Black continued. "Both of us ended up dying."

"Damn that's crazy." DJ sighed.

"After I was revived Sy told me that I couldn't die again. He informed me that my body reacts badly to the revival process, and that they wouldn't be able to revive me again. So Sy gave me the key to my cell and the location of my weapons, and I broke out."

White doubted that Sy would be alive after pulling a stunt like that. There was always a chance, but the odds weren't very good. Still it meant that if they did face a Keeper along the way they won't have any problems if they kill him or her. _If Black doesn't mind that is._

"After I broke out I met up with a man named Yeman and a Weaponsmith named Riho."

"Wait, she couldn't mean…" DJ trailed off, White was thinking of the woman who had the harness for the White Rock Cannon.

Black nodded. "Yes the same Weaponsmith that assisted you four in the past. They, along with a young hacker, have turned against the council and also appear to be attempting to free the Keepers."

"So why not stick with them?" Rose asked.

"Because of my cannon." White answered.

"Yes," Black agreed. "I still needed to hunt Whitestar down and learn the truth about him. However he may now prove to be a resourceful ally."

"What makes you say that?" Winston asked.

"The man is a former councilor." Black answered, and White nearly fell out of his chair. If a councilor was turning against his own government that meant that not everyone felt the same about the Keepers. _Play our cards right and we could have a small army working for us…_

"So what happened next?" Rose pressed.

"I learned that a small computer chip inserted into the back of our necks were responsible for what happened during the first Keeper Battle. They claimed that I was immune to the effects and they couldn't use it to track me. After departing I hitched a ride with a supply truck driver. Red Chain showed up briefly but was unable to stop me. After that I snuck past the Thilan army and found you."

"When did you leg get injured?" DJ asked.

"When I was entering the city, a very careless mistake." Black answered with a hint of disgust at her injury.

"We know the story after that." White finished. "Well that explains a lot."

"So the Council is altering the minds of the Keepers using chips." Winston muttered.

"Thank you Black, this is information we can work with." White grinned.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to the TAT now?" DJ wondered. "The repairs should be done by now and the General will be wondering where we are."

"So what do we do about her?" Rose asked gesturing to Rush. White let out a long sigh.

"DJ will have to carry hey back."

"_What!_" DJ cried in protest.

"Aren't you always the one complaining about how you'd like to 'get your hands on Rush's body?'" White reluctantly reminded him.

"He lays one hand on my and there won't be enough bits left to sweep into a trash bin!" Rush warned angrily with a sharp look at White. White grinned, not quite believing how perfect the timing had been.

"Aww come on sis, better you than some random chick off the street!" Rush leaned in to punch White, but he jumped out of his seat in time to dodge the blow.

"So what happened?" Winston asked, his voice serious.

"Well I hate to admit it kids, but it seems that DJ was right." A round of confused looks met Rush's words.

"Wait I was?" DJ asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Before I could make that call I got a number of emails. One was from Fulldrive letting me know that I was being laid off, The rest came from every programmer in the company, claiming that they were also being released." Looks of confusion turned to looks of shock and surprise.

"Well then!" White threw his hands into the air. "Fulldrive is now officially full of shit."

"They know about what's going on." Winston guessed. "And they want it to continue. The only question is why?"

Why indeed? What purpose would Fulldrive have in hiring a bunch of programmers and then completely ignore the code they used? The more White thought about it the less he could deny the facts that lead to the crazy, insane possibility that Black's story about traveling to other worlds was correct. _What have we gotten ourselves into now?_

* * *

**A/N**

SURPRISE! So not only did WRS get revived and turned to the dark side (yes cookies were involved) but Strength is now in the mix! Her upcoming backstory gives her more of a snotty, know-it-all, I'm the boss and a badass sort of attitude instead of what she had in the caring support style she had in the anime. DON'T PISS OFF THE GIRL WITH THE GAUNTLETS!

Then there's Rush, who I hadn't originally planned to lose it like that when I thought up this part of the chapter. But the more I wrote, the more it just made sense. Hot headed and passionate, also a badass but for totally different reasons. Somehow I think Strength and Rush/Olivia would make good drinking buddies someday.

Man but piling all of the information into that conversation with Squad Keeper was a pain. Everyone was going to have different reactions, and re-gathering all my sloppy notes wasn't fun. Still I think it worked out decently. White/Rick's the type of person who will do stuff with half the facts on a gut call. What a people person.

* * *

**REVIEW TIME YAY**

**UnkownSoul**

_I came to expect a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, but this one still got me good.  
But damm, you opend up something big there, very very big. If that person at the end is who I think it is and it is her right? RIGHT?!  
The confrontation between her and Black or Squad Keeper in general will be epic, will it?_

I just managed to write ths whole review without saying her name! Ain't I awesome? :D

Yeah I did a really crappy job hiding White Rock Shooter's intro there… Oh well. As for big, I'm just getting started. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA- *cough cough*

Enjoy the next two weeks everyone! (Not two months… I'll try.)


	12. Chapter 12

**Be warned, I will be making minor changes over the next 48 hours as I find gramatical errors and edit exact wordings to hit character personalities. However this version is like, 90% done and I'm so tired right now I wanna be done and upload this thing. ENJOY CHAPTER TWELVE! NO THIS STORY ISN'T DEAD YET!**

**Run once more my friends. Run once and forever.**

**(Longer set of A/N at the bottom)**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Meme Lords and Bladed Tongues**

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua, Abandoned Cafe_

_Time:__ Roughly 5:04pm S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_Black Rock Shooter_

The truth about Blue Rift Sanctuary had clearly shaken the entirety of Squad Keeper, as shown by their continued silence and lack of movement for the past half hour. Black felt a small pang of sympathy for the group. Just like her life had been turned upside-down a mere four days ago, their lives had changed just as much.

Black was sorry to force the truth upon the group, but it wasn't right for her to let them continue thinking that they were destroying false characters in some kind of twisted game, which also seemed to be created from deception from the sudden loss of Rush's job in her world. _This secret plan of the council may run deeper than I first realized._

The long silence was finally broken when Black's radio crackled. "White, it's Beals. The engineering team just reported back. Your T.A.T. is ready fixed and ready for the attack. Report to the programmed coordinates within three hours."

"Understood Sir." Whitestar responded calmly before standing up. "Well we won't figure this out by sitting around. Let's shelve this for now and focus on blowing up some Thilans."

"Is that even appropriate anymore?" Rose asked flatly. "I mean, what if the Thilans turn out to be the good guys!?"

"They aren't." Black answered quickly. "They murdered several thousand people in cold blood just to demonstrate their power."

"What if that's a lie too!?" Rose yelled.

DJ let out a long sigh. "You know what I think? I think that we're making this harder on ourselves than it needs to be-" Rose cut DJ off.

"This isn't a game anymore DJ! Rush got fired! Black is a real person, and the council had brainwashed the rest of the Keepers! Who's to say we won't get killed in real life if our little plan goes wrong!?" _Coward. The second she's at risk to lose her life she backs out._ It was a selfish thought, but at the same time felt no guilt for thinking it. Rose supposedly was the one to convince the others to aid Black, and now she wanted out.

"Rose I know you're worried, hell Rush was probably about to blurt the same damn thing. But isn't helping Black still the right thing to do?" DJ asked, in what Black guessed was a rare moment of clarity for the muscular Trooper.

"I know it is!" Rose shot back. "But I'm not going to rush in there blind and take away people from their families!" Black realized that this was about her mother, and the pain that came with losing family.

"Loss is inevitable in war." Black said softly. "We cannot protect those on the other side, but we can make sure that no one on Blue Rift has to suffer that kind of loss." Rose stopped with her mouth hanging half open.

"Black's right Rose." Whitestar pressed. "Besides, even if the Council of Blue Rift _do_ turn out to be the bad guys, remember that there are still many innocent families who don't know any better."

Rose sighed. "Yeah, alright fine." Black felt that Rose wasn't totally happy with the reasons given, but there was no happy answer to this problem.

"What do you think Rush? You've been oddly quiet." Whitestar asked. One look at the newest member of Squad Keeper and Black knew that this woman was _beyond_ furious. Whatever reservations Rush had about taking on the council and attempting to free the rest of the Keepers were clearly gone.

"Just give me something to shoot before I blow up the whole fucking city." Rush growled darkly. Whitestar grinned, and Black guessed that an angry Rush in this situation was a good thing.

"We shouldn't delay for much longer." Winston pointed out. "Otherwise the Colonel will begin to wonder where we are."

Whitestar nodded and headed for the exit to the abandoned café, everyone else slowly getting up and following.

Pulling out Black Blade to use as a crutch, Black began to follow them, pulling the hood over her head without bothering to retrieve the abandoned tarp that lay in the corner of the room.

Black wondered where they would go after the battle against the Thilan base. Since their stolen T.A.T. would allow them to be separated from the rest of the army, she wondered if they would be sent deeper into enemy territory to start doing some damage behind enemy lines. Black hoped they would be given the freedom to do as they pleased so she could get assistance in freeing the other Keepers.

Black knew it was selfish to think that way, and while normally such pangs of guilt would be suppressed instantly, Black felt an honest regret in using Squad Keeper. Despite only knowing them for a little under a day she had gotten to know Rose fairly well, and knew that it would be wrong to put them in a situation where they could be hurt not just in her world, but their own as well.

This was no longer going to be a simple mission of destroy the mind control device and free her family, now she had to consider the safety of the Guardians she had recruited to her cause as well as keeping their identities a secret. _It may be time to seek out that former councilor._ Black thought to herself. _Perhaps he could be helpful._

"Are you all seriously going to keep brooding over this!?" DJ's sudden cry yanked Black away from her plotting, however no one else seemed to notice. Black wondered just how strong these Guardians were mentally. When they thought her world was a game they had no fear, and while yes they treated everything as a joke they were undoubtedly the strongest Guardians on Blue Rift. Now however, they looked like nothing more than a group of depressed students being sent to their deaths. DJ, Rush, and perhaps Winston, were the only Guardians who looked ready to fight.

Whitestar stopped and turned around. "DJ, control alt F-five please." Black stood there in absolute confusion, which only grew as DJ grinned wildly. Without any warning and before she could react, DJ slammed both of his fists into the guts of Whitestar and Rose, sending them crashing to the ground.

"Better?" DJ asked, still grinning.

"Much." Whitestar grunted.

"What the fu-" Rose cursed, getting halfway through before Winston interrupted.

"DJ is right, we're over thinking this. In the end it's quite simple, rescue the rest of the Keepers without getting caught."

"Alright dumbass, but in case you haven't noticed we're still technically playing a game. I'm sure the guys over at Fulldrive can track our every movement and action!" Rose retorted bitterly.

"Then that needs to be our first objective." Whitestar grunted, picking himself up off the ground. "Considering there's a good chance that whatever coding Rush worked on for BRSO was thrown in the garbage, we have to start from square one."

"We find out if Fulldrive or the council can track us, and get a way around that." Winston guessed. Whitestar nodded.

"Exactly. First we gather information and go from there. But before we can do that…"

"We gotta blow some Thilan ass sky high!" Whitestar nodded at DJ's energetic declaration.

"Regardless of the consequences, these guys are the invaders and BRSO is our adopted homeland. Not to mention that going against the orders of the General would probably be a bad idea."

Black was amazed that Whitestar was able to recover so quickly, and that the group was able to break down their problem, despite it changing their entire life on Blue Rift. The Keepers had been raised with the practice of suppressing both emotion and moral consequences, both of these said to be critical hindrances to their strength. However Squad Keeper seemed to function just fine with them, even rebelling against the system to do what was right, despite the enormous odds against them. Her thoughts trailed back to the book Sy had given always knew that there was more to life than killing Thilan and following orders, but never before had Black seen it up close like that.

"So any guesses as to what we'll be going up against? DJ asked with a renewed enthusiasm as soon as the group started walking again.

"I just hope I don't have to snipe from the top of the T.A.T. again." Rose muttered bitterly.

Black, walking to the immediate right of Rush barely overheard her muttering something about combat in an open field and slashing Thilan soldiers to ribbons and making them into a sweater.

"What was that Rush?" DJ asked with a grin. "And would you like a grenade?"

"You know better than to give Rush a grenade DJ." Winston cut in flatly.

"No kidding! Don't you remember what happened during Winston's party last month?"

Rose cried, her voice filled with anger.

"Why is giving Rush a grenade a bad idea?" Black dared to ask.

"Let's just say that when my sister gets angry friendly fire is no longer a concern." Whitestar answered with a sigh. "And people quickly turn into mush." Black raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It sounded as if Rush became even more violent and reckless while angered.

After several minutes of walking Black reached the conclusion that listening to the Squads pointless banter was a waste of time. Her thoughts began to drift towards her sister, a subject she found herself thinking more and more about with each passing day. The dream Black had the night before replaying over and over in her mind, and wasn't any less disturbing than the first time.

She knew that Whitestar had nothing to do with her sister's accidental death, but nonetheless she remained wary of the Guardian. Something deep inside Black told her not to trust him. That he might be some secret that he was keeping from her. That he might turn the White Rock Cannon on her at any moment.

Another question raced through her mind, should she go back to Obroseon and try to find Yeman Aland? The former councilor clearly had a great desire to free the Keepers from the council's grip, but at the same time seemed to lack the resources to do so on his own. Getting the famous weaponsmith and former General Riho Medias on his side was a feat, but was it enough to launch an attack on the council?

_No._ Black concluded. A single former general with a Rock pistol couldn't take on the entire city of Obroseon. There was also no doubt that the Council had figured out that the pair of them had been outside the lab where the Keepers were being held the night of her escape. As much as she hated to admit it, her best chance at the current moment was to remain with Squad Keeper and hope for another opportunity to show itself.

But what kind of opportunity would be the right one? Despite their skill, Squad Keeper couldn't hope to launch a full on assault on the capital, and they lacked the information for any kind of (Insert word) mission. Then there was the question of the mind control chips. Black's chip had either been defective or she was somehow immune to the devices, but how was she supposed to disable the ones implanted in the others? Electric shocks were out of the question, as two of her fellow Keepers had the power to control electric currents.

Black suddenly remembered the third man in the hotel room, and wondered if he could help. The man was clearly a hacker, but without any way to track him, that lead was also a dead end. Black's eyes narrowed. She hated not having the tools, nor the information to complete her mission. It was like a tall mountain had been placed in front of her and she had been asked to climb it without any tools. It wasn't impossible, but it was going to take every bit of focus and concentration she had.

"You okay?" Whitestar asked. The sudden question causing Black to turn her head towards Whitestar in surprise, although her face remained neutral.

"I'm fine." Black replied simply, the demonic smile on Whitestar's face from her dream flashing in her mind. She tried, and failed, to push it away.

"You know if you need someone to talk to we're here for you." Whitestar's attempt at reassurance was filled with hesitation, like the Guardian wasn't sure if what he was saying was right. "Of course, we probably just seem like a bunch of arrogant, reckless idiots after that display back there."

"Your reactions were… understandable." Black replied slowly, thinking over every word. "You recently learned that you have been lied to. Panic and fear is an expected reaction."

"Way to break it down like we're a bunch of robots." Whitestar said in a teasing tone. "But thanks, I guess that gives us something in common." Black narrowed her eyes, annoyed and slightly offended by the Guardian's comment.

"Do not compare the betrayal of the council to the creation of the Guardians. unlike you, we had our future stolen from us."

"Yeah and I guess we kind of stole that out from under you." Whitestar finished before Black could continue. Whitestar looked up at the sky, the sun hidden behind the clouds. The Guardian seemed to be searching for the right words.

"I appreciate your concern, but I am fine." Black insisted, trying to dismiss him.

"Don't give me that." Whitestar warned, his voice falling into a serious tone that Black hadn't heard from him before. The Shooter had been dead serious when he was in the Cafe talking with the rest of his squad, but this was different. His voice was filled with a feeling Black recognized, it was almost exactly like the feeling Black first felt when she learned that the Keepers would be turned against each other. Black stopped walking, Whitestar halted right next to her.

"Something is on your mind, and while I'm not a good enough leader or friend to know by instinct, I know when something's bugging a person deeply. I want to help, so what's wrong?"

There was a pause as Black looked into the eyes of the Shooter, and was surprised to find a deep concern in his eyes. It felt like he was expecting something terrible to happen if Black didn't explain herself right then and there. The look made Black uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. She was tempted to tell Whitestar everything, but she couldn't. Not with the vision of him killing his sister fresh in her mind.

"Show me that i can trust you." Black finally replied before walking ahead.

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua, Underground Bunker_

_Time:__ Roughly 3:26pm P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

_Whitestar_

Black's last words in their conversation gave White a general idea of what was on the Keeper's mind. He had essentially, without warning, taken her sister's name, jacket, cannon, and role in less than a day. White wasn't even sure that Black wanted him as anything more than a tool to get the remaining Keepers free. White didn't mind that, but he kind of wanted to have the other Shooter trust him. Maybe even be friends.

_There's nothing I can say to her to get her to trust me._ White realized. _And only Black can decide if she wants to trust me._ The thought may seem dismissive to many, but White wasn't the type of person to go out of his way to seek trust quickly. In his mind, something that valuable had to be built up over time, and three days wasn't a lot considering what the Keepers had been through their whole lives.

Which meant that the next issue at hand was the upcoming battle with the Thilan. Not long after the groups little episode in the cafe, they made their swift return to _The Liberator_ and got briefed on their mission.

General Caelus was surprisingly upfront with them about the twofold purpose of their mission. The first and foremost was to reclaim a critical position on the southwest edge of the city. A spot where the Thilans had easy access to the railroad connecting Khua to Obroseon in addition to several smaller cities.

Winston had remarked that it was a miracle that they weren't attacked when the groups of Guardians were coming in, and that's when they learned that more than half the stationed troops had been sacrificed to make sure the Thilan didn't get the chance. White couldn't even imagine having to make that call. Trading half your army for a bunch of gamers from another world who were unpredictable, moody, and had no real reason to follow the General.

Of course that meant that the other reason for the attack was to _really_ test the skills of the Guardians by sending them out alone, and have them direct themselves in the battle. The entire group shared a worried glance, knowing how dangerous that could be if there wasn't any organized leadership.

Rush had been the only one to verbally protest the idea of sending in the Guardians without any _real_ plan, and it almost exploded into a full on shouting match between her and the General at one point. So several minutes of calming Rush down followed by some minor details and a data transfer led to a prolonged silence from the six people sitting in the command center of _The Liberator._

"You know I'm starting to get the impression that the General doesn't like Guardians." DJ sighed. Rose turned her head and gave him a flat stare.

"No shit Sherlock!" She cried.

"So what is our plan of attack?" Black asked, not looking at either Rose or DJ.

"I will have to look at the provided information while we are en-route." Winston admitted. "However I should have something before we reach the Thilan base."

"You'd better, there won't be much time for planning once the shit hits the fan." Rush said grimly with narrowed eyes.

"It will take approximately four hours for all remaining Guardians to reach the rally point." Winston informed. "I will have a plan."

"And if he doesn't I don't think anyone here has a problem of pulling a Leeroy Jenkins." DJ grinned wildly, an action White quickly joined in on. Black glanced towards DJ and narrowed her eyes but said nothing.

With their rather short strategy meeting concluded the group, save for Winston, moved back into the lower section of _The Liberator_ and within moments were out of their secret underground parking garage and on their way to the rally point. According to the map given to them by the General, all Guardians were supposed to meet up in a broken down residential district just inside city limits. From there they would march on the Thilan base roughly four miles southeast of the city in what used to be a forest area. A combination of past battles and Thilan infrastructure turned the whole place into a massive military base protected by ten foot high walls, similar to the factory complex that the group had destroyed the previous day. Naturally it was going to be up to them to open the gates.

As they sat on the beds, which were starting to double as their seats, White stole a glance at the large staff attached to Rush's back. It wasn't too hard to guess that his sister had chosen the Brawler class, the only one the group hadn't chosen. While clearly not ideal for the type of combat that BRSO was going with, the class and weapon fit her perfectly.

True to her name Rush Queen, White's sister was a master of fast-paced close quarters combat, and often focused on speed and offensive stats so hard she turned her character into an assassin rather than a bruiser character. It left Squad Keeper without any real tank, but then again BRSO didn't play by normal MMORPG rules. There was no effective way to be a tank and draw aggro in the first place, making the whole class somewhat pointless.

Black didn't seem to question Rush about her specialties either, not that she would need to with the little spat the pair had. At the current moment she had found some kind of rag and cleaning equipment from who knows where and was cleaning her cannon. The compartment was empty save for the sounds of DJ singing away marching tunes as he drove through the streets of Obroseon. And if it weren't for the fact that T.A.T.'s ran off of some kind of anti-gravity technology, White was sure his friend would be running over every single abandoned car left on the road.

"So Black!" DJ called, interrupting one of his marching songs. "When the Keepers prep for a serious op like this one, how to they get themselves psyched up?" Black didn't reply and continued the cleaning process. A few moments of silence passed before DJ tried again.

"Yo, Earth to Black! Don't tell me you want comatose on us again? I'd hate to have to give mouth to mouth."

"DJ if you don't shut that perverted mouth of your I'll make sure to do it for you in the most violent way possible." Rose's tone generated a dark, evil aura that surrounded her as she replied. White smirked in amusement.

"Good to know some things haven't changed." Rush muttered to White with a grin. "How hard has he fallen for her?"

"I'd have to give it a six out of ten." White answered. Rush's grin became wider. A six out of ten for DJ meant that he'd forget about Black and fall for the next pretty girl they came across.

Black however, seemed oblivious despite all the conversation directed towards her. White reached over and tapped Black on the shoulder.

"I would prefer not to be disturbed." The Keeper said in a low tone, clearly annoyed at DJ's childish attitude.

"Geez Black you're too serious!" DJ piped up again.

"It's respectable that you can ignore DJ." Rush praised. "But ignoring us won't do you any good you know. We're not going away anytime soon."

"I would rather not engage in meaningless conversation before battle." Black replied, obviously more frustrated than before. "I'm disturbed that this how Guardians behave before battle."

"And we're not an oddity either. All hail the meme generation!" DJ shouted proudly. Black's left eyebrow twitched.

"Ignore them Black, they have no common sense." Rose sighed, to which Rush started laughing hard.

"Ignore? Us? Yeah good luck with that. Stopping a train with your bare hands would be easier!"

"Hell yeah!" White held up his hand in a high-five which Rush quickly met.

In what only could be described as an action done out of annoyance, Black stowed her cannon and quickly jumped from her seat and stormed up the ladder to the Command Tower. White watched her go up and let out a long sigh. He had to admit that they may have taken their antics a little far. Black was no doubt used to a more serious atmosphere where the only focus was victory rather than spouting out some random joke. It all came down to a difference in culture, and one that White hoped could be bridged soon.

"So uhh, what just happened?" DJ asked in confusion. White's face scrunched up as he realized his mistake.

"Well played you idiots. Now we can look forward to Black ditching us at the first opportunity." Rose spat.

"Did she just storm off?" DJ asked again, clearly trying to resist the urge to turn around.

"Yeah. We really need to do a better job of shutting the hell up." White observed.

"What would be the point in that? It's better that she gets to know us for who we are now rather than later." Rush's logic made sense, but still Black had been giving off queues that the entire group should have picked up on. It was like having that one friend who would never stop tickling you even though you asked for him to stop several times. True it was in their nature to push the limits, but that didn't make it okay. White stood up, only to be stopped by Rose grabbing his left arm.

"Leave her. You'll only make things worse, and she has Winston to talk to." White considered her point for a moment.

"Well then I guess I'll have to try and not make things worse. Probably not a good idea to have her go into battle not trusting the guy calling the shots."

"You really can't just leave these things alone can you?" DJ asked. "Man you've got a heart of gold you know that?"

"Sell it on the market and I take your head." White retorted in amusement before turning away from the group and climbing the rung ladder that led up to the command tower. He figured Black was nothing more than annoyed at the carefree attitude that the Guardians were taking with a major battle looming over the horizon. An act that must have made them look like nothing more than children playing war.

Okay yeah that was probably a pretty big insult given the circumstances.

White found Black sitting down on the left side of the circular room with Winston at the head of the map looking down at a plan of the Thilan base. Upon stepping into the tower Winston glanced back briefly and shook his head. White rolled his eyes and glanced around the room.

Like before, Black was focused on cleaning her cannon. So White went either unnoticed or ignored as he walked over and sat down on her right and pulled out his own cannon, although he wasn't really sure what to do with it. For several minutes the pair sat there in silence, something White was perfectly comfortable doing… for about the first twenty seconds. Patience wasn't exactly his strong suit. But White couldn't form the words.

It didn't take too long before White started feeling awkward. He wanted to apologize for the antics a few minutes earlier but the words weren't forming in his mouth. A part of his remembered the conversation between the pair of them on the way back from the cafe and figured it might be too early to say anything. But then again he'd rather not leave things in their current state.

So like an idiot he settled for approach number three, and said nothing at all while looking super uncomfortable. White could feel Winston watching him from a distance. Apologizing was _never_ one of his strong suits.

"If you have something to say then speak." Black grumbled monotonously. "Your awkward presence is distracting."

"Sorry, I'm not very good at this." White replied honestly.

"Do not concern yourself with me, however I would appreciate being left alone before we arrive."

White had to change the conversation somehow. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Black with the impression that they were a bunch of bumbling idiots who were still dealing with the shock that BRSO isn't just some game for kicks and giggles, and Black was only getting more annoyed the longer White didn't say what he needed to.

"Why do you like being alone so much?" White asked slowly, making sure he chose his words carefully.

"I do not enjoy being alone." Black's voice was firm, as if the question itself was an insult. "However I consider your childish behavior inappropriate for the situation we are about to find ourselves in."

_Better get used to it._ White thought bitterly to himself, forcing the words down in his throat. While it was true that many gamers were going to take the battle seriously, none of them would have the level of seriousness that Black did.

"Sorry, but that's how we normally are while we're not focusing on blowing someone's head off. I'm guessing you didn't do much joking before all of this?"

"Laughter and jokes are actions tied to emotion, something the Keepers did not require." Black explained.

"That's… unfortunate." Black turned and stared at White, her eyes filled with a dark, questioning glare.

"I do not need a Guardian telling me how 'unfortunate' my upbringing was. It is my life and I accept the role I have been given."

"Did you know that people do better at things when they enjoy doing them?" White continued, smiling at Black. "It's true. The mind works faster and more efficiently when a person enjoys a task. I can understand the reason for wanting to suppress your emotions, but you won't ever best someone who truly enjoys what they do." Blacks eyes narrowed and it was clear that she was becoming furious.

"You're saying I'm weak!?" Black spat, her left arm starting to enter her cannon.

"No no no, I'm asking for you to loosen up a little bit!" White clarified quickly.

"Emotions get in the way of making effective decisions, and will only get people killed."

"Emotions also give you a reason to fight. If you truely didn't have any emotions you'd be back in that Obroseon arena fighting to the death again and again." White countered.

"What White is trying to say," Winston interrupted, his voice flat, "is that you're human, not some machine programmed to wage war."

"Wow, way to make it sound like I don't respect her way of life at all." White stuck his tongue out at Winston.

"But isn't that what you're trying to say?" Winston guessed, and not incorrectly. White would love to see Black loosen up a little bit from being this badass war machine and show the person underneath.

"I'm trying to say that while we act like careless idiots a lot of the time, we're here to help you Black. We laugh because we do better if we're smiling and making a joke out of everything."

"That and a pissed off White is something we never want to see again." White met his friends side comment with a hard glare, not that he would show it if he noticed.

Black's shoulders relaxed a bit, and the cannon returned to her lap for cleaning, the once red rag she was using now covered in dust and dirt. Her facial features returned to the all too familiar neutral look, the same one that was incredibly hard for White to read.

"Then do you not value life?" Black asked. "The way you laugh carelessly in the face of death is similar to those who enjoy killing." White paused for a moment, sucking on his lower lip as he searched for his answer.

"I'd be lying if I said that the five of us didn't enjoy combat," White finally answered, "but remember we're used to fighting virtual enemies in worlds where death has no real consequence. It's closer to a sport than war."

Black shot him another glare. "You make it sound like the Keeper Battles."

White glanced off to one side and nodded slowly, seeing the connection. "True. Remember though, no consequence. If given the option I'd gladly take the Squad Keeper into that arena and fight another group of Guardians to the death, because it doesn't actually kill us and doesn't come with any real consequence other than disappointment. Keepers on the other hand," White poked Black's shoulder. "Are a different story."

Black turned back to her cannon and seemed to ponder the argument for a few moments.

"Then it is overconfidence and arrogance." White opened his mouth to disagree before realizing she was right.

"Okay yeah you've got us there. Still it's how we roll, and it's not like we're _trying_ to get killed out there."

"We may sound like a bunch of arrogant idiots now, but if you recall the battle earlier you know that most of us take a more serious attitude into battle." Winston added.

"The only exception being DJ and my sister." White sighed. "Those two really do love the thrill of battle."

"Then why do you fight?" Black asked. White looked at Winston, who shrugged. Silence filled the room for a few minutes as the Shooter searched for an answer.

"Uhh, ask me again sometime in the future. Right now it's mostly me going with the flow. Sure I care about saving the Keepers and all, but if we're being truly honest with each other then I have to say that I don't have any personal investment in this." White dared to steal a glance towards Black, half expecting to find her cannon aimed at his head and glowing with energy. Instead he found the girl staring at him with a neutral expression, like she was trying to come to terms with what she heard.

Deciding to end the conversation before he made things worse for himself, White stood up. "Listen, I may not be fully invested now. But rest assured the longer I hang around you the more I'll care." With a wink White headed back down the ladder, where the screams of Rose could be heard over the antics of Rush and DJ.

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua, Southeast Rally Point - Abandoned Residential District_

_Time:__ Roughly 5:58pm P.E.T. (Pacific Earth Time)_

_Whitestar_

_Time to Guardian's Attack - one hour thirty minutes._

It had taken _The Liberator_ two hours to navigate the broken southwest part of Khua, which seemed to be in the worst shape of any part of the city. Debris the size of semi-trucks blocked most of the roads, and unwilling to just blast their way through, Rush, Rose and White all had to sit there and listen to DJ's non stop complaining and swearing the whole way through. White was sure that Rose was going to punch the man the following morning before school.

When the group finally did arrive at their destination however, White was surprised to find the quote 'abandoned residential district' had been converted into a full on forward operating base. Two story houses were converted into structurally sound barracks, Sanctuary soldiers lined the streets armed, and from what White could see, a well established perimeter keeping watch for any unexpected Thilan attacks. _They must have been planning this from the moment they knew the Guardians were coming._ White realized.

A higher ranking officer directed them into a makeshift warehouse for a last minute inspection of _The Liberator_ to make sure the main cannon and other secondary systems were working as intended, leaving the six members of Squad Keeper to discuss their plan over the sounds of mechanics and engineers.

"Alright teach what you got for us?" Rush asked as she finished climbing the ladder behind DJ, the last two up.

"I would prefer to keep the nicknames out of the briefing please." Winston remarked before pressing a button on his control panel, bringing up a red colored three dimensional holographic map of what looked like a small city. Everyone gathered in a circle around the map, Black getting up from her spot and standing opposite of White.

"Uhh, Winster? I think you got the wrong map buddy." Winston glared at DJ before replying.

"I assure you I have the right data. This is the information that was sent to me about the Thilan base."

"It is not uncommon for the Thilan's to construct large military fortifications at key strategic locations." Black explained. "It allows each to act independently, both as a show of power and in the event that they are cut off from supply lines."

"Well then this should be interesting." Rose mused.

"The plan is similar to the one at the Thilan factory complex, however this time we will be taking a more direct approach." With a few more buttons, the map zoomed outward to show the surrounding area around the small city that was the Thilan base. Dozens of small blue triangles appeared to the northeast of the massive circular wall that surrounded the city-base.

"Both our plan and the General's depends on the success of _The Liberator _getting within three hundred twenty-eight of the wall, close enough to destroy it with the main cannon." The triangles moved forward toward the city as he spoke, with one larger triangle in the middle that White could only assume represented _The Liberator._

"We cannot expect to get that close, the defenses of a Thilan base are much too strong. It would be safer to destroy the wall from two hundred crons." Black suggested, pressing a few buttons on her side of the map, which moved the large triangle back to twice as far away from the wall.

"Just a question from the stupid jester, but what the fuck is a cron?" DJ asked with a raised hand.

"A cron is equal to a meter, a micron equal to a centimeter." Winston answered.

"Great… more of the goddamn metric system." DJ muttered.

"In any case," Winston continued with a glare at DJ, "I'm afraid that firing _The Liberator's_ rock cannon from that distance would be ineffective."

"Because of the range right?" Rose guessed. Winston nodded.

"In addition to the battle plan, General Caelus sent me all the data they had on Thilan T.A.T.'s. Based off of information from previous battles, a T.A.T.'s main cannon loses both power and accuracy beyond a range of four hundred feet, or one hundred twenty crons."

"So let me play the role of clueless blonde for a minute. Why aren't we shooting from the edge of our range instead of being stupid enough to try and get close?" Rush asked.

"Because any target within one hundred feet is guaranteed to be destroyed as long as it is not protected by an energy shield." Winston answered.

"And how do we know that the Thilan base _isn't_ protected by a shield?"

"Well, my dear Rush, if I had to guess I'd say it would be because none of their defensive cannons could shoot at us if it was!" DJ declared proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Precisely." Winston confirmed. "However it is unreasonable to assume that the Thilan's do not have a shield."

"It wouldn't be in their best interest to use a shield though." White pointed out. "Not unless they could get reinforcements here quickly."

"There is little doubt that more troops are already underway to reinforce the position." Black said with a shake of her head. "And a Thilan fortress is more than equipped to handle drawn out sieges."

"Then we have to make sure we blow the wall and get inside before that happens." DJ punched a fist into his other hand.

"Hey big shot, what if they put up the shield _after_ we blow the wall?" Rose asked with narrowed eyes.

"Not to worry Rose, Winston had over two hours to figure out how to get around this issue, so I'm sure he's got a plan." White declared with more confidence than he truly felt. In the back of his own mind, White was still wondering how to get around this issue. Thankfully however, Winston gave a small grin and adjusted his glasses. Inwardly, White groaned and made a mental note to tell his friend to stop watching so much anime.

"Indeed." A round of groans followed from everyone but Black, supporting White's initial reaction. Winston either ignored the groans or was too caught up in his act to notice. "Thanks to our new Keeper companion, I learned that the clothes Keepers are equipped with make them invisible to enemy radar, allowing them to get in and out of locations undetected." White immediately knew where he was going with this.

"You want Black to sneak inside the hole _The Liberator_ will punch in the wall!" DJ shouted. "Nice! My princess in the spotlight, the hero of the Great Guardian Battle!" A loud _smack_ echoed through the room as Rush leaned over and hit the back of DJ's head with a closed fist, sending his head crashing into the side of the hologram projector. Thankfully the blow didn't have enough force behind it to cause any damage to their equipment, and no one in the group was the slightest bit concerned about their perverted friend.

"Not just Black." Winston continued. "White received the jacket of White Rock Shooter, and therefore it would come with the same benefits. I have also been told that Snipers receive the same technology, meaning that it will be White, Black, and Rose undertaking phase two of the mission."

"Get in there and blow whatever is powering that shield?' White guessed with a smirk. "I've been looking forward to some more demolition." Winston nodded.

"Once the shield is down the Guardians will storm the base from the inside, disabling the defenses and taking the city by force. However that will not be our only goal." White smirked and knew where he was going with this. One look between himself and Winston and he had the go ahead to finish the explanation.

"We're going after the leader of this base." A round of various reactions from excitement to sighs of disappointment passed through the group. The only one who seemed genuinely shocked by this was Black.

"A bold decision, however isn't undertaking this task in the middle of a battle overreaching ourselves?" White shook his head in reply.

"Not at all. Once we're inside Rush can join up with us, giving us the muscle to force our way to whoever is in charge."

"Thilan leaders are notorious for escaping the impossible, even the best assassins have been unable to capture one alive." Black explained. Rose shrugged.

"Guess we'll just have to be the first. Besides, whoever is in charge couldn't possibly escape until the shield goes down."

"This plan is glorious." Rush grinned, licking her lips. Her face was similar to that of a mad serial killer about to get high off a kill. White sighed inwardly. His sister was a bit of a punk woman outside of the online world, but put a controller in her hands and she was worse than a sadist. Love didn't even come close to describing the pain she liked to inflict on her enemies. A glance at Black and White didn't have to guess, the Keeper was worried about her mental state. _Yeah sorry there Black, no way I can get her help for that._

"So we're all clear on the plan then?" White asked.

"Yeah we're clear on it all right, but I've just one question." Rose glared at White and gestured towards Black. "That girl's been limping with that injured leg of hers all afternoon. How the hell do you expect her to go on some kind of secret operation like that!?"

"I assure you Rose I am fine." Black insisted, tapping the foot of her formerly injured leg against the ground. "Keepers have strong regenerative abilities. I can recover from minor wounds within moments, and a bruised leg a few hours." Rose stared at the Keeper with a look of surprise for a moment before shaking her head.

"You Keepers just keep getting more and more impressive. Soon you'll be surfing with sharks on the surface of the sun."

"That is not possible for anyone Rose." Black said with a monotonous, bored voice. White smiled and shook his head at Black's inability to catch the sarcasm.

"Any other questions?"

"Yeah, I've got one." DJ glared at White through narrowed eyes. "What the hell are Winston and I doing? Not once have either of our named been mentioned!" White rolled his eyes.

"Dumbass. Who do you think is driving this bucket of bolts?" DJ opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out as he realized that he was the only guy in the group who had the skills to pilot _The Liberator_.

"Oh man that is so not fair." DJ complained. "You're telling me I don't get to have any fun at all?"

"Dude you get to blow up an entire wall and then enjoy blowing up hundreds of Thilan troops with that giant ass gun, don't complain." Rose retorted sharply. The trooper didn't waste any time rounding on their sniper companion.

"Winston's the one actually firing the cannon! I'm just his glorified taxi driver!"

"Actually DJ there is a bit of information you might find pleasure in." Winston smirked.

"Well then out with it!"

"The engineers managed to get the two turrets online and set to automatic control, as well as getting a few forward mini guns online. You'll have your fair share of taking heads." If a human's eyes could sparkle like in cartoons, White was sure that DJ's would have lit up like a Christmas tree.

"DJ likes his new toys." DJ clapped his hands. He was worse than an overeager five year old on Christmas morning.

"Alright with the perv talking about himself in the third person, I think we're ready to roll." Rose pulled out her sniper rifle and tightened her grip on it. "Time to stop talking and let the guns to all the work."

"I just wish we had a radio that played tunes from back home, I could use some hype music right now!" DJ cried out, unable to contain his excitement at the idea of blowing entire legions of Thilan soldiers apart.

Suddenly and without much warning, Rush pulled out a small black box with a speaker and a single red button on it. One push later and the entire T.A.T. was filled with music by Fall Out Boy. White raised an eyebrow.

"Explanation?"

"Synced up this special item I have to my phone."

"That makes no sense Rush." Winston responded in disbelief. Rush winked.

"A girl has to have some secrets."

Black just stood there dumbfounded, trying to process what in the world just happened.

* * *

**A/N**

**Yes that last line was necessary. Something like what Rush just pulled fits her character as a programmer and as a goofy idiot much like DJ.**

**That aside, there **_**is**_** a reasonable explanation for how Rush was able to suddenly start playing earth music for the people of Blue Rift, I didn't just throw it in for a silly giggle. It does have actually story relevance which should be making its way in within ten chapters or so.**

**FINALLY WE'RE DONE WITH ALL THAT SIDE STORY SECONDARY BULL THAT KEPT ME IN A DEADLOCK FOR THREE OR MORE MONTHS. Wait crap that's going to be the first part of Chapter 13 too. *flops and dies*  
**

**These kind of luls are hard to write and honestly shouldn't happen too much in the first place. I blame my lack of experience and will be working to make sure that doesn't happen again in the future. And if it does I will have planned it.**

**On another note I re-watched the BRS OVA. I am reminded why BRS is sitting at my #1 top spot for all things Anime and otherwise, but a discussion on that topic is for another time and place.**

**NOTE ON UPLOAD SCHEDULE:**

**I'll be workin my butt off for the next month or two to get caught up on both my youtube channel and fanfiction. My plan is to have enough content ready in advance to upload for several **_**months**_** so I can focus on raising money for college. So yeah we're going back to a 2 week update system, and no this time i'm not bullshitting it. THERE WILL BE A CHAPTER IN TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY. (give or take a day, I'll try to keep it to Fridays.)**

**So yeah, enjoy the approaching chaos!**

**REVIEWS:**

_ BlueSkYes:_ Well thanks for the holiday wishes! Happy new year! And Valentines Day, and saint pattys… oui u know wat? Screw it happy holidays, ALL OF THEM. Keep that "Lean On" song handy, I think it'll be useful to you here soon. The nightcore version of "Take a Hint" may not be a bad idea either…

_UnkownSoul:_ I may call myself a Cat-Yordle, but I'm also a bit of an internet ghost. Things don't alert people half the time I upload something… I think I might be cursed. Somehow I did manage to add WRS and STR in the same chapter didn't I? Wasn't part of the original plan now that I think about it but hey this was WAYYY better than the original plan… which kinda sucked. Hell WRS wasn't supposed to show up for another two dozen chapters originally, but I needed a plot advancement for Yeman… FML.

As for Rush, I get the feeling we're about to see just how crazy her reaction is going to get… *shudders*

_Anonymous Guest: (Whoever you are!) _WRS has made her return… and get ready to have your mind thrown in a blender! (I'll try to turn it back by the end at least!)

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS GUYS! THEY REALLY DO KEEP ME GOING! (Seriously otherwise this fic would have ended up like True Night or The Story of Kevin….)


	13. Chapter 13

**Bit of a warning to all of you returning folks that the rating has been stepped up from T to M for various reasons. Also it's been over 3 years since this fic started! ….yay?**

**...please don't hate me. Also I redact that statement saying I was gonna overhaul the whole story. Fudge it, I'll work with what I've got already, since it really isn't all that bad in concept.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Take a Hint**

_Day 3_

_Date__: Wednesday, January 26__th__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua, Southeast Rally Point - Abandoned Residential District_

_Time:__ Roughly 21:48 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_Black Rock Shooter_

_Time to Guardian's Attack - approx. one hour  
_

Black stared out at the cleaned out collection of broken down buildings, trucks, dark bluish-gray tents, and military hardware that made up the hastily created "Camp Keeper" that had supposedly been named in honor of the squad that had saved firebase Zina in the battle the day before. The Keeper's eyes were narrowed as a strong wind howled around her. Such a breeze her would normally carry her messy pigtailed hair with it and give her some sense of peace. The meditation was a practice Black picked up at the request of her master so she could give her ever-active mind a chance to rest and avoid straying into the dangerous realm of emotion. It was a practice Black normally partook in daily, but was forced to skip for the last several days due to her unfortunate circumstances, and her irrational actions reflected as a result of her lack of discipline.

It also meant that Black found little solace in her meditation. The purpose of the practice was to leave yourself open to the wind so it could dominate and clear your mind, yet she was forced to keep her black hood up and was covered by a rather ugly dark brown cloak to avoid being recognized by the Guardians below, most of which had clearly seen her figure and hairstyle in the arena. Given the nature of her uniform she doubted simply undoing her hair ties

would convince anyone, and given much of her defensive options were woven into the fabrics simply removing it wasn't an option either. Black's hands remained closed tightly at her sides, and her annoyance at her predicament ate away at her more than she cared to admit.

Catching herself mid-thought, Black cast the emotions from her mind, returning her focus to meditating. Black blocked out all other sound, all other senses. She closed her eyes and envisioned the wind howling around her, listening only to its unforgiving pull and unrelenting fury. And although it was with reluctance, she listened to the sound of her hood flapping with the wind, attempting to find comfort in cloth rather than her hair.

Yet her subconscious would not let her forget the events that had transpired up until this point. The Keeper summed it up to a single phrase that she had learned to fear in her younger days: _"Your mind is fighting the storm."_

Black knew her mind was conflicted and filled with self-doubt, yet it did not grant her the ability to cast the doubts from her mind as easily as her emotions. During the few missions she and her fellow Keepers had undergone, her decisions had affected the lives of everyone under her command, and even when Black had doubts about her decisions she was able to clear them from her mind. This time was different. This time the target of her mission _was_ the Keepers. Her decisions on this mission determined if they lived free, or remained as puppets for the council to kill again and again at their whim for nothing more than sport.

And yet that wasn't the only reason her mind was clouded. For the first time in her life Black was conflicted over morals. The idea of working with Guardians, the very group that had taken the place of every Keeper and put them in this situation, appalled her. Disgusted her. Filled her with a rage she had never felt before and had no hope of controlling. But it wasn't only that, no she had forced herself to stand side-by-side with the man who was wearing and using the very equipment gifted to her own _sister._ She also had somehow decided to try and create a bridge by informing the Guardians that they were not playing a game as they once believed, therefore removing a potential leveraging tool that could have been used to control a seemingly

uncontrollable force that was not only unpredictable but also enjoyed the thrill of battle!

_Which is the greater evil, the monster or the one who allies themselves with it?_ The line popped into her head, the source being the book Sy had given her before the breakout. Black could feel her nails digging into the palm of her hand, although they were too short and dull to actually cut flesh. Black didn't want anything to do with the Guardians, despite her optimism a few hours before. _I need them._ Black reminded herself. _I cannot take down the council myself._ Working with the Guardians was violating every bone in her body, and the thought of turning on Squad Keeper to retrieve her sister's belongings was still tempting, but it was a counterproductive action. Working with the Guardians was an evil she needed to commit if she wanted to complete her objective.

In a sense, she was working with the enemy. A situation she was never trained for.

Black let out a long breath and imagined her former master scolding her for being so reckless and impulsive. White had been the strategist, not her. It was another quality that Whitestar shared with her sister, and the very idea that the two of them might be similar in more than just name and equipment frightened her. Black didn't want her sister replaced by anyone, let alone a Guardian who has the sense of newborn child.

Giving up on her meditation, Black could both hear and feel the pounding of a bass turned up too loud through the hard, newly blue painted metal surface of _The_ _Liberator_ beneath her feet. Before Black had left _The Liberator_ in an attempt to get some peace, DJ and Rush had started screaming out lyrics to a song the she didn't recognize. Once she assumed came from their world. Everyone else had agreed to make their own preparations and meet back up ten minutes before the Guardians were set to depart.

The last several days had been filled with setbacks for the Sanctuary army. Several small raids made by the Thilans had destroyed critical supplies needed for the attack, which called not only for a change in strategy but a call for additional supplies as well - some of which included replacement parts for their stolen fortress after it was revealed that the quick patchwork fixes the General's team had made weren't going to hold up. DJ had promised to 'give the General what's coming to him,' but Black doubted he was serious.

Yet Black had to admit that with DJ and Winston at the head of the second attempt to fix _The Liberator_ the repairs were going much better than Black had predicted. Winston had a vast knowledge of vehicles, even though he had never seen a T.A.T. before a few days ago. DJ was also quite capable at following instructions and was talented with his hands. While they weren't going to recover all of the systems of their fortress before the battle, enough systems were online to function according to their original plan.

Thanks to the additional three days, her leg was now fully healed. The only injury that concerned her was that to her focus and concentrations. With her meditations ending in failure, her state of mind was a genuine concern for her. She couldn't afford to have a single stray thought in the heat of battle, not if she wanted to remain alive long enough to see the remaining Keepers freed.

The sound of footsteps behind her drew Black from her thoughts. Turning her head to the left slightly she caught a flash of a familiar white jacket out of the corner of her eye and felt a single emotion return to her through her returning focus - annoyance.

"Why must you follow me everywhere I go?" Black demanded in a annoyed tone. Despite the fact that she needed him and his squad, Black couldn't help but keep her cold attitude towards Whitestar. Her sister was too deeply rooted in her mind.

"Ouch, hello again to you too." Whitestar replied with an amused snort.

"I grow tired of your distractions, what do you want from me?" Black expected the Guardian to sit down next to her and start launching into some speech about how he was here to help her, however to her surprise he did not.

"This time something more practical. Since we're going to be sneaking around an enemy base in close quarters I figured I could use a close range weapon." Whitestar explained.

"I fail to see how I am required for this." Black retorted.

"I've seen you pull out that katana from that jacket of yours a few times now, and since this jacket belongs to White Rock Shooter I figure it's probably got one too."

"You wish to learn to summon White Blade." Black guessed, continuing to look out at the busy scene in front of her and not at Whitestar.

"You got it." It didn't take a lot of effort to imagine the Guardian's goofy grin. Black let out a silent sigh, forcing down the anger that came with the image while debating whether or not to comply with his demand. On one hand Whitestar being in possession of the White Blade would be advantageous as opposed to him attempting to swing a large cannon in a narrow alley or hallway. But on the other hand, that would be yet another aspect of her sister that would be taken by the imposter. Black shut her eyes tightly. _Forgive me, but I need him to save our family._

Standing up, Black slowly turned around to face the Guardian and nod.

"Thanks." Whitestar said, smile gone or maybe it never existed in the first place, as if he realized the seriousness of what he was asking.

Black reached into her jacket, and almost at once a black colored katana formed in her hand as she seemed to pull it from out of jacket. Whitestar raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

"All Keepers have an extra-dimensional storage space woven into their clothing." Black explained. "Weapons that we cannot maintain on our person are stored in this space until we call for them. Both the Black and White Blades are such weapons."

"Why haven't any of the Guardians gotten this?" Whitestar wondered aloud.

"Because the cost for one article of clothing with a space woven such as the jacket you are wearing costs more than the city of Obroseon itself." Whitestar's eyes widened. Black had exaggerated on the cost a fair bit, but the extra-dimensional space was indeed that rare.

"Well damn that's impressive if I do say so myself. It isn't tied to the original owner's DNA is it?"

"No it is not." Black replied neutrally. "However you must be wearing it to access the space, and it can only store one item at a time."

"So in theory the White Blade should be in there." Whitestar muttered as he attempted to mimic Black's earlier motion.

Although he was clearly unsure of what he was doing, he started pulling a blade that was an exact copy of Black's katana out of the jacket. The only difference between the two blades was the color, this one being white in all the places where her own blade was black.

Once fully drawn, White inspected the blade, turning it over in his hand and giving it a few practice swings before nodding in approval.

"This is sweet, could I store something else in the jacket?" Whitestar asked, keeping his gaze on his newly acquired weapon.

"Yes, however that sword has no sheath, so you would have nowhere to place it if the jacket's space is occupied." Black explained, a feeling of discomfort rising in her chest as she watched the Guardian wield the blade. She turned her back to Whitestar and returned her gaze to the ever increasing number of Guardians down below.

"Thanks for helping me out with this." White said from behind her. "We're going to start moving a bit earlier than everyone else, so be down and ready to go in five alright?" From the sound of footsteps behind her, Whitestar obviously didn't stick around to wait for an answer.

Black sat down with her feet hanging over the edge. From their brief conversation she could tell that Whitestar hadn't taken the request he had made lightly. He was well aware of the pain he was causing Black, yet they were both aware that if they didn't work together there would be no hope of rescuing the other Keepers. Whitestar was putting all of his effort into a cause that he could easily choose to ignore. He was risking the safety of himself and his companions for soldiers that would kill them all without a second thought. This prompted a new question to form in Black's mind: why couldn't she get over the feeling of betrayal in her heart?

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Wednesday, January 26__th__ 2015_

_Location:__ Obroseon: - New Guardian's Bar and Casino_

_Time:__ Roughly 22:00 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_Ivory - Code Name White Rock Shooter_

Ivory sighed and set down her now empty glass down on the newly polished surface of the bar table. Her slouched form both more relaxed and stressed than it had been in weeks. The music pounding in her ears, the dancing of patrons behind her, and the smells of the newest and arguably most popular bar in all of Blue Rift: New Guardian. All of it was helping her escape the reality of her failure several nights earlier. In front of her was the empty glass of her fourth drink tonight, and she started getting funny looks from both the bartender and surrounding patrons. The legal drinking age for the city was sixteen so it wasn't like it was unusual to see a teenager drinking, but it wasn't every day that someone downed four tall glasses a beverage meant to knock the most seasoned drinkers out in only two shots.

Besides the wind, a strong drink was the only other thing in the world to give her peace - not that alcohol had any effect on her body. At most a strong drink made her feel like she could fit into normal society, a chance to let her hair down and not have to worry about that creeper of a boss that she was almost certain was stalking her and trying to get into her bed. The thought sent a shudder down her spine. It didn't seem to matter what the profession or allegiance was, if you were a pretty woman there was always a man close by wanting to have sex with you. Typical.

Not having to keep up formal appearances, Ivory had changed clothes and hairstyles since she didn't have to be around her stalker of a boss, who hadn't wanted to lay eyes on her since the failure of killing that former councilor. Unlike the night of the mission, the assassin had let her long white hair free of the two hair ties and fall to it's full length, hitting her lower back. _I need a haircut, any assassin thinking they can kill a target with this hair is nuts._

As for her outfit, she had made a serious effort to wear something that wouldn't stand out, and the new black t-shirt with a whited out rock cannon and katana in an X pattern on the front that served as the Keeper Battles logo alongside a pair of blue jeans and a plain gray hoodie tied around the waist did just the trick. Afterall she was out for a night of drinking, no provocative dancing, gambling, or flirting for her - ever. Ivory preferred it when she could be alone with her thoughts and not be stupid with the little time to think that she had. That and she got enough of the flirting from her perverted boss. Great Sanctuary she hated that guy.

Her thoughts were constantly consumed by the missing memories that were a bug that wouldn't stop buzzing in her ear. The gaps in her memory, the people whose faces she couldn't remember, it was something worse than haunting. So much so that she refused to call herself by her real name, the one thing she did remember - White Rock Shooter. Ivory Blaze - last name taken from a famous martial artist that had lived nearly two decades ago - was a much more fitting name for her.

The one thing Ivory could say with some certainty about her past was that she was probably created to be a living weapon, after all she was one of the deadliest people in the Thilan Empire and had a shitty name that could only have been described as a code name. It was the other reason for her self-given name, it sounded like it belonged to an actual person instead of a weapon.

Ivory let out a long sigh and rested her head against her thumb and index fingers, the thought of being a living weapon bringing back the failure three days ago. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that she'd be punished harshly for letting her targets get away, the first time she it had happened to her since her first attempt at a kill.

"Excuse me miss, it seems you've hit the bottom of your glass." Ivory groaned inwardly when she heard the deep voice of a young man clearly thinking with something that wasn't his brain. "Is there any chance I can help you fix that?" Ivory groaned inwardly.

"No thanks pal, keep your sword in your pants and start looking elsewhere." Ivory retorted bitterly, not even willing to look at the guy's face.

"Oh don't be like that, all I'm doing is offering to buy you a drink." The man replied, his voice surprisingly charming and _not_ drunk! That was a first. Most of the time people only hit on a barely legal hot sixteen year-old if they were drunk.

"You and every other man in here, where'd you learn that pickup line primary school?" Ivory could feel the annoyance coming off in waves from the man. _A tough guy?_ Ivory sighed yet again as she imagined him clenching his hands into fists. _And here I was hoping I'd get through the night _without_ another bar fight._

"Don't be like that little lady, come on and give this girl another one on me." This guy was seriously pushing his luck.

"Kid this girl's downed four Zintis Dwarfminers in less than an hour and hasn't doubled over. I think you'd better take her advice and hit the road before you get hurt." The bartender interrupted with a raised eyebrow, no doubt impressed with Ivory's drinking feats.. Ivory smiled, she liked this bartender. Even in his surprise there was a hint of warning in his voice that told her that he clearly had enough experience to know that she was not someone to fuck around with.

"Just my type of girl." The guy replied with way too much enthusiasm in his voice. Ivory's right hand started visibly twitching, something the bartender noticed. It took everything Ivory had not to facepalm.

"Boy don't make me call security on your sorry ass, this is opening night and I'd rather have it go without breaking the whole damn place." Ivory caught a small movement from the bartender's hand, and out of the corner of her eye she caught two _massive_ bouncers start walking over towards them. It went without saying that this was her new favorite place. The young man next to her let out a ´tsk´ sound.

"Fine fine, I´ll take a hint when I see one, but you'll see me again, and you'll fall for me." Ivory turned her head to watch the man disappear into the crown before turning her gaze back to the empty glass.

"Thanks for that." Ivory said with a voice of tired gratitude.

"No sense in letting inappropriate behavior go unchecked in my bar." The older man grunted. "And It's like I said before, anyone who can take that much alcohol and not be drunk could probably turn my bar into a pile of rubble without any trouble. Wouldn't be the first time." Ivory let out a breath of amusement and slowly pushed herself off the stool and to her feet, grabbing a long black bag that sat against the stool and flinging it over her shoulder. The bartender looked over the rectangular black bag, it's length reaching all the way down to Ivory's knees.

"Well thanks for the drinks." Ivory waved as she started walking off.

"Try and keep the mess away from the bar." The bartender called as Ivory walked through the crowded dance floor towards the exit. All she needed now was something to hit and a good night's sleep. One of which was right around the corner.

Ivory stepped outside the New Guardian Bar and onto the streets of Obroseon, so well illuminated by the street lamps, flashing billboards, and building lights that it may have well been the middle of the day. Despite it being past twenty-two the streets were still packed with people like it was the middle of the day. This was mostly due to the Keeper Battle that was due to start within the hour, but crowded streets in the early hours of the night weren't uncommon in most of the central area's of the city.

Having spent the contents of her wallet on drinks, Ivory was forced to take the long walk back to what had to have been the cheapest apartment in the city, where your best friends were the rats and the mold on the wall. Still the walk presented a chance for her to think over the failed assassination and the ogre-armed bitch who got in her way. There wasn't a doubt in Ivory's mind that she could have taken her down quickly, but fucking Arin insisted that they keep a low profile and don't go around destroying entire city blocks.

Ivory clenched her teeth as the scene played in her mind again, her mind burning with rage at the thought of that kid's cocky expression and reckless eyes. That bitch needed to be put in her place and soon.

Still three blocks from her run down apartment, Ivory's sixth sense picked up on _something_ hiding right around the corner. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was. That asshole from the bar had kept his word to find her again, and this time he had friends. Ivory grinned and using the bag flung around her shoulder, she swung it around, jabbing the man who was supposed to grab her as she rounded the corner in the face. A sudden cry of pain was his reward for failing to mask his presence. That felt good.

"Damn, I didn't think you thugs were that stupid." Ivory commented, keeping a tight grip on the strap of her pack. When she rounded the corner, she found three other guys standing there with a various assortment of blunt weapons and knives. The man in the back Ivory recognized as the man from the bar.

"I said you'd be seeing me again." The man grinned, either so drunk he was unaware his friend had been knocked out cold - which was unlikely considering that man didn't reek of alcohol - or didn't care enough to consider it. Ivory sighed.

"Didn't that bartender warn you not to try anything?" Ivory reminded the man, placing her bag on the ground and pulling on the opening, her hand reaching inside and wrapping around a long pole-like item.

"He and his lapdogs aren't here anymore, so you're mine now." The man licked his lips, and Ivory concluded that this man was both overconfident and stupid. "Get her boys."

The two men in front of the bar guy stepped forward, holding a long metal pipe and a six inch knife respectively, they slowly walked towards her keeping their weapons ready. Their careful approach told Ivory that these two weren't _total_ idiots, but they were still stupid for trying to attack her. Once the men were within four feet of her, Ivory raised and swung pole from left to right. While it wasn't easy since she didn't have the nine feet required to swing in a one-eighty degree arc, there was still enough force behind the blow to fling her extra-dimensional storage bag off of White Scythe, the boney end of the weapon colliding with the first man's head and sent him crashing into the second man.

It wouldn't have been hard for her to turn the weapon in her hands and stab both of the men with the curved tip of her weapon, but the last thing Ivory wanted was a bloody mess on her hands. Instead she opted for the second option, which was to leap forward at the final man. Spinning her scythe in her hands, Ivory one again struck with the blunt and bony part of her skeletal-like weapon.

Ivory had ended up parallel to the man when her weapon slammed into the man's nose, sending him flying several feet backwards with blood gushing out of his nose. Ivory had done more than break the man's face, she had shattered it into a million peices. _Good luck paying the medical bill for the surgery you bastard._ Ivory stepped back over the two collapsed underlings and picked up her back, which had been thrown on top of a dumpster at the end of the alley thanks to her violent swing. Starting from blade end and turning down toward the pole part of the weapon, the assassin returned her weapon to it's storage and continued walking towards her apartment.

Today may have sucked, but getting to kick the assess of three perverts helped make it just a little bit better.

* * *

_Day 3_

_Date__: Sunday, January 23__rd__ 2015_

_Location:__ Kheawuton: Khua, Southeast Rally Point - Abandoned Residential District_

_Time:__ Roughly 22:30 S.S.T. (Standard Sanctuary Time)_

_Black Rock Shooter_

_En Route to Thilan Base_

"I still can't believe they have the nerve to throw us out there like cannon daughter." Rush complained, laying bored on a bed closest to the entrance of _The Liberator._ Clearly trying to relax despite the bumpy ride.

"It's not like we have much of a choice. The Thilans we're _real_ smart in choosing their real-estate." DJ replied, having finally gotten somewhat serious since his episode several minutes earlier, in what could only be described as the best drunken singing Black had ever heard from people who weren't actually drunk. She still wasn't sure how they had managed to play music from their own world, but she couldn't deny that everyone in Squad Keeper was a lot calmer and more serious than before - especially after having to calm both DJ and Rush down.

As the group discussed strategy they previewed the battlefield once again, and one thing concerned all of them more than anything else - the long stretch of empty land that sat just outside the Thilan base roughly a hundred meters long. Between them and the stretch of empty land was a broken suburban area of the city, destroyed from countless years of combat.

"I'm less worried about the open space as I am about what we're going to find out here." Whitestar replied, his arms folded as he stood right behind DJ, his cannon reflecting light after he had used the cleaning materials Black had left in the command tower. "With the landscape this broken anything could be waiting for is in here, and we don't have the same maneuverability we did back in the central city."

"Well the good news is that we fried their T.A.T.'s in the battle." Rose pointed out from her seat opposite that of Black nearest to where Whitestar was standing.

"It is possible that one or two may still remain within the city-base itself." Black cautioned. "We should proceed with caution, we will not catch them by surprise again."

"Oh ye of little faith, believe in the force you must." A smacking sound followed DJ's rather odd sentence.

"I thought we agreed that we wouldn't use references people wouldn't understand." Whitestar reminded him.

"Dude it's Star Wars, if I can't use that then what can I use?"

"Nothing until you find a way to get all six movies to BRSO." Whitestar replied flatly, ignoring the fact that DJ's comment was mostly rhetorical.

Black was doing her best to keep her mind blank, a difficult task considering the constant and rather pointless discussion coming from the Guardians. In her mind, Black saw no point in debating what to do in every uncertainty at the last moment. Doing so would only create unnecessary tension within the group and further increase the difficulty of their task. _This battle was rushed without proper intelligence or preparation._ Black noted grimly._ Our chances for victory are slim at best._ Despite knowing this however, Black felt that this wasn't the first time Squad Keeper had gone in blind. In fact it almost seemed like they enjoyed the lack of information, like it was another level of difficulty for them to push through.

_They really do see this world as a game._

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

Alright everyone I'll be honest. Trying to work up the courage to once again tackle this monstrosity of a story has been rough, especially with me now in college and with numerous other responsibilities. All of this chapter had already been written well over a year ago, but needed extensive tweaking which I have finally completed.

Starting next chapter (which I won't DARE give an ETA for) I'm going to stick to earthly units of measure for my own sanity, since my writing of the story has been sporadic

I have a general idea of where I want to go with this story, and I'll do my best to try and keep up with it where I can, and this will probably be the last of the short chapters. From here things probably get longer.

I really do want to apologize for being dead for so long. My focus is still split in a million different ways and I can't promise anything but to try and give this story the attention it so rightfully deserves. Keeping characters consistent, the world cohesive, and the entertainment factor going. If you're reading this and have come back to the story I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And for those of you who found this story in the two year long hiatus and followed it I want to thank you deeply as well. Every follow and favorite was a reminder that people were still reading and looking at this story.

I'll try to do my best to deliver.

_Katsuo "WillTheYordle" Twintail_


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